The Life and Times of a Would-Be Gotham Anti-Hero
by GlidingOne
Summary: Laying low failed. Epically. Like I can't even describe how much I want to crawl into a hole and hide. But that won't work anymore. Life has happened. Everything is falling apart. And it's all Red Hood's fault. Taking down Lex Luthor would have been so much easier if Red just left me alone. Part 2 of the Life and Times of Annie Simon
1. Chapter 1

Summary: Laying low failed. Epically. Like I can't even describe how much I want to crawl into a hole and hide. But that won't work anymore. Life has happened. Everything is falling apart. And it's all Red Hood's fault. Taking down Lex Luthor would have been so much easier if Red just left me alone.

Chapter One -

I can't tell what's going on. It's hazy, there's a shadow just in front of me and I can hear the most unhinged laugh I've ever heard in my life. It's vaguely familiar. And then the next thing I know - I see a bald man, _Luthor_ , my mind supplies - and I know it's not the same figure as before.

Something tells me this is a dream. And then Dream-Luthor starts talking.

"Little girl, you're in way over your head."

Laughter again, but I'm just angry. I have a feeling it's meant to intimidate me, and I want to make him stop. And when it doesn't stop - my whole body tenses and all of a sudden he just dissolves into smoke. It's reminiscent of half the universe after Thanos' snappening.

Only unlike with the snappening, I don't want Luthor to come back - I have no creeping feeling of horror as he dissolves in front of my eyes.

Then it's dark, and I _feel_ something. It's warm and wet and it's on my head - dripping water into my hair and along my temple, and I want to wipe it away, but as soon as I reach up, hands grab my wrists.

I struggle against the hands for a second, before I give up and fall under the haze of sleep again.

When I finally begin to _really_ come to, there's still something wet on my head, but it's kind of cold now, and even _more_ aggravating than before. I'm vaguely reminded of when I was ten (the second time) waking up from a coma because my muscles ache and everything around me feels foreign.

Except mom's not here. At all.

And the sheets are not scratchy. In fact there are no sheets. It's almost - I think I'm on some kind of futon or couch or something.

I crack an eye open and meet a pair of green eyes - I _know_ those eyes - they're - I think it's Red. But I can't be certain because there's a bit of blue, or maybe it's the other way around? I close my eyes again and feel a hand on my forehead - whatever it was on my head has been removed.

"Hey, hey, wake up. You scared the shit out of me, just fainting like that. Come on, wake up."

Right. I fainted, didn't I? After he blew up Falcone's office and killed Sofia. After I killed Falcone and Mario. Because of mom - _because they killed mom_. After I fell apart because Mrs. Janet - _it was the Joker, wasn't it? That piece of shit_ \- after she . . .

My stomach grumbles. But while my stomach is empty (like a gaping hole) and hurting, my mouth feels like if I try to eat _anything_ it's going to revolt. How long has it been?

"Right. Food. I'll be right back."

Footsteps fade away as they travel across the... concrete? floor - yes, concrete floor, my mind supplies. Not tile, not wood, not linoleum. Concrete. - And I almost reach out to stop him. I love food, but my body is telling me it's not exactly the best idea right now.

What the hell is wrong with me? I never say no to food.

And then he's back and he brings cold chicken soup from a can close to my face and the _smell_ of it has me sitting up really fast -

"Woah - hey!"

\- and rushing up and finding a door, any door, and I hope it's a bathroom. But no.

It's just a door that leads outside and I'm surrounded by what looks to me like a construction site that I can't even take in appropriately because I'm trying to find a corner to upchuck in.

And I find a corner by the time Red's caught up and all he can seem to do is grab my hair and keep it away from my face. It's mostly water that comes up.

Ugh. That's disgusting.

When did I drink water?

"You okay?"

"No."

"Right, stupid question."

I open my eyes again to look at him - and I know those arms and that leather jacket better than I know those eyes. They've spent hours at my apartment, helping me with school papers and teasing me, and around me - it's definitely Red.

"Red?"

And he's wearing his helmet again, so I _know_ it's him.

And then I can feel three heartbeats behind me, and even as I tense and fight back the bile trying to rise out of my stomach, a bunch of people have surrounded us.

"Did you _have_ to blow up another building? What did Falcone ever do to you? You never even did that to Black Mask."

I look around at the assortment of people - Tim and Big Bird are there. And Batman. Batman's _here._

"Yeah, so?"

Red really doesn't seem to like them.

"You can't just - there were people in there! And you _shot_ two of them! They're dead and -"

"What do you want?" Red sounds bored.

"You can't just do that!"

"And why are you even still wearing the mask right now?" Aww, Big Bird's jealous. "It's not like we don't know who you -"

"Because it makes me look cool."

I can't help the little bit of laughter that escapes my mouth, before I'm leaning over the bile from before. Ugh. How do I still have anything left in there?

"Annie." Tim acknowledges, seeming to have just now noticed me, in fact they all have.

"Why are you here, Annie?" Well hello to you too, Nightwing. Could your scowl get any deeper? "You know he's -"

"It's none of your business, _replacement_." Red sounds annoyed right now. And what does that even mean?

My stomach grumbles again and I groan, trying to get up.

"Where _are_ we?"

"You kidnap her, Jason?" That's Batman who just talked and - _what?_

"I'm going back inside." I think I'm in shock. Because _Jason?_

Red doesn't seem to want to turn his back on the bats so he stays back, letting me head back inside and -

This place is a dump.

Like, sure. There's some really high tech computers in the corner and a couch with pillows and a whole pile of blankets. But there's also a small hot plate in the corner and a bunch of cans of what looks like campbell's chicken soup and more importantly - there's no bathroom.

Just as I'm about to wonder - is this where Red _lives_? No wonder he was constantly over at my place - my phone begins ringing. My backpack - where my phone is blasting out the standard ringtone, because I could never be bothered to change it - is resting right next to the couch, AMAZO's leg making it look misshapen.

But I don't want to talk to anyone right now, and I can still hear Red and the others outside the door. They seem to be coming closer.

After twenty seconds the phone stops ringing. Thank God.

 _And then it starts ringing again_.

Damnit.

"You going to get that?" They're behind me, and followed me in, I guess. I'm not paying too much attention, though, to be honest.

"No."

Red barks out a laugh as he comes into the room after everyone else and - _this phone is really starting to annoy the hell out of me._

I pick it up on the caller's third attempt with a sigh.

"Hello?"

"Yes, hello, is this Ms. Annie Simon?"

I sit down on the couch, leaning back and trying to get comfortable and not pay attention to the supers staring at me and damn. It's lumpy. Really, Red?

I hope this is not a fucking sales call.

"That's me."

"My name is Claire with Gotham General. You've been listed as the emergency contact and power of attorney for a Ms. Janet Smith."

Right. Damn. Now I almost wish it were a sales call, now. Since when was this even something hospitals dealt with? Shouldn't it be the morgue, or the police, calling me?

"And this is . . ." I'm not supposed to know she's dead, right?

"She's currently in the Intensive Care Unit -" Wait - what? I sit up quickly and try to run those words through my head again, because what do they mean - is she not dead? "- but as you're her power of attorney, and she is unconcious, we need you to come in and sign some papers."

"O-of course, um. I'm not exactly feeling the best right at the moment. Do I need to be there now?"

"As soon as possible. We can't make many more decisions for her health without your go ahead. We've been trying to get in touch with you for a while now."

"Oh. I-I'll try to be there soon."

The call ends, and I'm - I don't even know what I feel.

"What's she even doing here?" Right. Nightwing. Big Bird.

"None of your fucking business."

Thank you, Red. That's exactly what I was thinking.

I grab my backpack and get up - because _she's alive. Joker didn't kill her. How?_ \- only to find Red blocking my way.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Going to the hospital. I have papers to sign."

"You're not healthy enough to go anywhere. I mean, you were just throwing up. You _fainted_! In the middle of the street!"

I glare. "I'm fine."

"Is fainting a _normal_ occurrence for you?"

"Sometimes."

He scoffs under that obnoxious helmet of his, and continues. "What about throwing up - what about any of that makes you think you're fine?"

"I didn't eat enough - that's why I fainted. And I'm feeling fine now."

"You didn't answer my question. And you haven't been able to eat yet either! It's been sixteen hours! She shouldn't be up yet." He switches halfway through from talking to me to explaining to his 'guests' and I guess try to convince them to help him stop me.

"Really. I'm fine." And if I'm _not_ fine, it's a _hospital_.

The other people in the room look confused and - right. Neither the original boy wonder, nor the current one, nor their mentor, know about my _many_ interactions with Red. Or that I need lots of food.

"And anyway, we still need to talk about what the fuck you were thinking last month."

Because he left first. He has no right to judge me about leaving right now. At least I'll be back.

He folds his arms in front of his chest, looking like a petulant child. I'm slightly amused. But I still need to get to the hospital.

"I'll go with her!" says Tim.

I try not to glare at him.

"She's not going anywhere."

I roll my eyes and make to leave the apartment. Because Red doesn't get to tell me what to do. Not right now.

"Try to stop me and see where that gets you, Red. I'm not a damsel in distress. Besides, I'm going to a _hospital_. If anything goes wrong, I'm in the right place."

Not that I'll let any of the doctors near me, but the point still stands.

And he _doesn't_ try to stop me.

Before I leave, I stop and look back at them all.

"He only shot Sofia by the way. And blew up the building. The rest was all me."

* * *

I make a note of where I am when I leave. It . . . it's such a dump, and what are you doing, Red? Aren't you a crime lord? Can't you afford something a little better? But before I can really get into judging Red's life choices, _there's another heartbeat behind me_.

I turn my face a little, and _oh_. Right. Tim did say he was going with me. Maybe if I ignore him, he'll leave me alone.

But no. The whole trip to Gotham General is filled with questions from the most obnoxious person I've ever met.

"So, Annie . . . How do you know Ja-Red Hood?"

Ignore, ignore, ignore. He was going to say something else - probably Jason, like Batman did, I can tell - and I glare at him for a bit and definitely don't answer.

"Come on! You always said no to Big Bird and me."

"It's none of your business."

"Come _on_. He's - he's a _criminal_ , you know. Of _course_ it's my business. And I mean, what -"

"It's really not."

"Huh?"

"It's _not_ your business."

"B-"

"Just _drop_ it."

He frowns, and I feel a little bad. Because he's a teenager - really. And I'm - I'm supposed to be the adult.

"So . . . you did everything else at Falcone's? What does that even mean?"

"It means he blew up the building and killed Sofia. _After_ I took out Mario and Falcone."

"Why."

"Because. Can you be quiet now?"

He is for a hot second and then, "Why are we going to the hospital?"

"Because."

"That's not an answer."

"So?"

"Come on! It's not like -"

"I don't care."

"Please?"

"No. What will it take to get you to shut up?"

"Just answer my questions."

He looks so fucking pleased with himself. But I glare back at him anyway. And damn, he's almost taller than me.

"Because I have to fill out some paperwork!"

"Oh."

And really, I'm just so fed up with this and -ugh.

"Why were you throwing up earlier?"

Will he _never_ shut up? I answered his damn question.

"Hell if I know."

"Oh. Okay."

And finally, he shuts up and is mostly quiet the rest of the walk to the hospital. Him trailing behind me also has the added benefit of getting the nurses to help me faster. Because of course - he's a known superhero, after all, partner of The Batman - and I'm not freaking out at all - I swear I'm not.

I'm so glad I still have my ID, because otherwise proving who I am would suck.

There are so many forms to sign - like a whole stack about six inches thick.

And what the fuck? I spend an hour just making sure I agree to whatever the fuck I'm reading (Thank God I do, because some of this is fucked up - what do they mean donate her body for research to Arkham? No fucking way am I doing that. They'll turn her into a zombie, and _people actually agree to this shit?_ ).

And from what I'm reading, it doesn't look good. It's a miracle she's alive at all. She's on a bunch of pain meds . . .

When that's done and taken care of, Tim - Robin - follows me to the room - room 1211 (on the twelfth floor) only to find police officers outside, guarding.

I almost panic.

"Move along," one of the police officers says - an Officer Gutierrez.

"I'm here to see Mrs. Janet Smith."

He eyes me suspiciously before shaking his head 'no.'

"Sorry." He doesn't sound sorry. "No can do."

"Why?"

Officer Gutierrez rolls his eyes while the other one - an Officer Jackson - nudges him with his elbow.

"What is your relationship to the patient."

At least this guy isn't saying no. "I'm her power of attorney." It takes more energy than it should to not call him a buttwad or something worse and more appropriate.

Officer Jackson sighs, but nods his head, seeming to figure it's better to let me through than to argue, even as Officer Gutierrez glares at me and grumbles about how _it's against protocol_.

And then, there she is - lying there with bandages and looking practically dead - but _that's definitely her heart beating over there._

My stomach growls at that moment, and Tim starts chuckling.

This guy . . . I swear I'm about to smash his face in, he's annoying me so much.

But Mrs. Janet stirs and seems to take stock of her surroundings before turning to me and - she smiles widely.

"Annie!"

Her voice is raspy and I frown as she tries to get up.

"No, don't - it's okay. You don't have to get up!"

She doesn't listen to a word I say.

"What happened? Last I remember -"

"I'm sorry, ma'am." Fucking Officer Gutierrez does not look sorry at all, and I have to hold myself back from sending him flying back through the door because he's interrupting a heartfelt and emotional reunion. "It looks like she's awake, and we need to speak to her. You can come back tomorrow."

Mrs. Janet looks so lost in that moment, and all I can do is glare at the officer.

"I -"

"Oh, come on! We've been here for an hour now doing paperwork, and just when we get to see her you stop us? Officer, I'm sure you can-"

"I'm sorry, but-"

"Officers, she's family. I won't talk without her here." Huh. Mrs. Janet's the kind of badass I want to be.

They don't look really happy.

"Mrs. Smith -"

"Please, call me Janet."

"Ms. Janet -"

"No! I was married, I'll have you know. I'm not a spinster. It's Missus or not at all!"

Mrs. Janet, bless your soul - you're my spirit sister. Because honestly? The police officers look like they have no idea what to do right now with her.

"Mrs. Janet Smith-"

"No need to be quite so formal, young man. Now get to it! I'm not getting any younger."

I'm doing a fantastic job keeping my laughter in - hidden behind a big smile I can't suppress.

The officers look so lost too. As if they don't know how to even respond - at least until Officer Jackson pulls himself together and begins the questions.

"What were you doing two nights ago at approximately nineteen hundred hours?"

"Nineteen hundred?"

I take pity on the officers. "Seven o'clock in the evening, Mrs. Janet. The last thing you remember."

"Oh, well why didn't you say so?" she scoffs as she holds one of her hands in the other - almost nervously, except her face is more annoyed than anything else. "I was just finishing watching the six o'clock news. And then this clown character came barging in and asking about Jason Todd -"

Her words begin to fade slightly because - there's that name again. What is she talking about? Why would Joker - and then Batman -

"You know? That boy Mr. Wayne adopted all those years ago that died. He seemed to be insisting the poor boy was alive, but you know that clown wearing maniac - he's not exactly right in the head and -"

But of course - this is a comic universe. And if there's anything I've learned about comics, it's that no one stays dead long - except maybe Uncle Ben - not Gwen Stacy (just look at Spider-Gwen), not Bucky Barnes (he came back as the Winter Soldier). DC is probably no different from Marvel in that aspect. The ones that die either don't die at all or - and even if there _was_ a body . . .

"- And then he was asking where Annie is - which I thought was strange, but that it also explained why she's here. Because she's not just family, she's my landlord. And -"

"I'm sorry," Officer Gutierrez interrupts, "but - Joker was specifically asking for Ms. Simon here? Or for your landlord?"

"He was asking for Annie. Said he was going through the class list from Mr. Todd's middle school days. I told you - he's crazy. And then he got out this crowbar and -"

Mrs. Janet stops talking as she seems to remember what happened.

"I think the only thing that saved me was that Life Alert button thing. I fell and didn't even need to press anything. They somehow knew - I haven't even had it for very long. I just saw it on the tv and -"

"Ma'am."

"Oh, right. I'm sorry. What was the question again?"

Officer Gutierrez gives me the stink eye before closing his notebook and grumbling.

"One moment, Ma'am. We'll be right back."

Mrs. Janet stares after them for a second before she turns to look at me again, giving Tim a quick up-down measure-up.

"Annie, it's not safe here right now. Joker's looking for -"

"It's okay. I already talked to him."

She looks so fucking terrified at the thought, I rush to add, "I'm not as helpless as you think I am. I'm here, you know?"

She doesn't look convinced, and looks around the room as if expecting someone else to show up and start shooting up the place. She doesn't seem to notice Tim in his Robin get-up.

"I'm not so sure those police officers are on our side," she whispers. "They were talking about Lex Luthor just before you came in and how - I just. Annie, I have a bad feeling about all of this."

Right. Perfect.

Fuck.

* * *

Tim and I leave Mrs. Janet's room before the police officers get back - Mrs. Janet insists she can handle their questions and it would probably be a good idea for me to rest. I don't look like I've had enough sleep - and Mrs. Janet's always been a mother hen.

Unfortunately, while I successfully ditch the officers, I'm not so lucky with Tim.

"So are we heading back now?"

"No." Tim looks so disappointed. "I'm getting food."

"Where are we going?"

"Home."

He looks confused now. "But you just said -"

"Come on, we haven't got all day."

I get back to my apartment with Tim complaining that he has better things to do than babysit me (no one invited him) but insisting it's his duty to make sure I make it home safe because - "No way! Red Hood would _kill_ me - he already hates my guts!" and he looks so affronted that I'd even _suggest_ it.

But damn. It was worth a shot.

On the plus side, the Gotham Metro is really pleasant when you've got a Robin escorting you. No one seems to want to stand too close to Tim.

We arrive at my apartment only to find _even more cop cars_. Like seriously, all I can see are the alternating red and blue lights and - _really?_

As I approach the building, a police officer - looks new and uncertain about his job - holds a hand up and moves to stop me from getting through with a "Sorry, ma'am, we can't let you through."

I roll my eyes.

"I _live_ here."

The police officer frowns. "We've accounted for all the occupants."

"Bullshit. I live in apartment 5C."

There. He recognizes - oh shit. He _recognizes_ my apartment number.

"You're Annie Simon?"

Fuck this. Fuck this and all - I wanted to fucking blend in! This is not blending in.

"Yeah."

"You - are you aware the Joker and two members of his gang were found in your apartment - crippled?"

Fantastic.

"They broke into my fucking apartment."

"Woah! Really?" Tim, shut up, please

"As far as I'm concerned, they got what they deserved."

"So - so you _are_ aware."

"And your point?"

"That - ma'am, we're going to have to bring you in for questioning."

I roll my eyes even as Tim begins protesting. Loudly.

"The guy - who broke out of Arkham, has killed a bunch of people, and breaks into a girls' apartment with a gun to her face - gets crippled and the _girl_ who was _threatened_ gets locked up. Right."

He does not look amused, so I cut in, "You know my mom was a lawyer? A story like this - it'll be on the headlines of the Gotham Gazette - . . . What's your name again, officer . . . ?"

"Uh, right." He moves to cover his nametag as he reaches for the radio strapped to his vest - that nametag is too conveniently placed. "I'll call Commissioner Gordon."

And fuck - I know that name too.

"Uh, is this going to take long? Because I'm getting hungry too."

"Shut up, Robin."

Tim rolls his eyes as another guy comes up to us.

"I got this officer. My name is Jim Gordon, and you are?"

"Annie Simon. I live in apartment 5C."

"Ah." He rubs his forehead, a pencil in his hand before he sighs, "And . . . are you aware the Joker was found outside your apartment, trying to crawl away."

"Guess I should have hit him harder."

He snorts and takes out a cigarette from his pocket.

"Please don't."

His eyebrows raise but he puts the cigarette away for a bit, at least.

"Can I grab anything from my apartment."

"Sorry. No can do." Fuck officers and their fucking phrase 'no can do' - it's such a cop-out. At least he _does_ have the shame to look sorry. "We have to process the crime scene and it'll be a couple of days, most likely a week before we get it done. We'll also need to question you about -."

This - this is fucking ridiculous.

"You realize, Joker invaded _my_ apartment. He attacked _me._ He's a fucking psychopathic murderer. You're invading _my_ privacy for _this_?"

He sighs again (and I swear,if Tim makes _one more noise_ . . .) - "I understand. But unfortunately, we still need an official report and investigation, and we need to preserve the integrity of the crime scene. You were there?"

"Yeah."

"And you left?"

"They weren't dead when I left, and I was more worried about getting away from the psychopath. You know - self-preservation? He held a gun to my head."

"You fled a crime scene?"

"They invaded my fucking apartment. I was just trying to get somewhere safe."

"And you're here now?"

"I passed out last night and spent the evening at a friends' place."

Tim snorts. And right, Jason is - ugh.

"Do you need medical attention?"

"I'm fine -"

"She was throwing up earlier."

I'm this close to smacking him.

"Here -"

"I don't need a doctor, I just need food and rest and - and clothes."

"I'm afraid I can't let you take anything from the crime scene. And besides that, based on the three eyewitness accounts, you assaulted _them._ "

I've never been more relieved that I have my laptop and AMAZO's leg in my backpack than at this moment. But I'm so angry, I just want to break something.

"This is bullcrap. Have you looked at me? I mean seriously, I look like a strong wind could blow me over. I could barely get away from the three psychopaths that _invaded my house._ "

Tim snorts behind me even as Commissioner Gordon attempts to speak up.

"That may be so but -"

"And what do you mean it's going to take a week? You're not going to reimburse me for the spoiled food, _are you_? I have _milk_ in that refrigerator! What about where I'm going to sleep tonight? I want you to be aware, I _don't_ give you - any of you - permission to search my house or _anything_ of mine."

"We can -"

"Forget it." I turn around and just leave. "Boy Wonder, let's go to the grocery store."

"Uh, okay."

And as we're leaving, I can hear the commissioner shout out, "Hey! We still need to set up an interview! And we need to check your backpack!"

No you fucking don't. They already have access to my underwear drawer, without my permission. I'm not letting them find AMAZO's leg in my bag.

"I'll call you!"

Except, no I won't. That's a stupid idea.

"I think you're all full of it, Commissioner!" Tim shouts back to him, and - wow. Didn't know he had it in him. "So, we headed back now?"

Ugh. Nevermind.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

My phone is ringing. Why the fuck is my phone ringing again? I'm in the middle of the grocery store, getting all sorts of food and everyone's staring because my phone's ringing and I don't want to get it out because AMAZO's leg is still in my bag.

Why the fuck is my phone ringing?!

At least Tim's getting the staples (rice, beans, etc.), and so is far away - far enough that, even as I sigh and kneel, he can't see the contents of my bag.

And this fucking phone won't stop ringing - I'm trying my best here.

"What?"

"Oh, hello, Annie!"

Fuck you, Luthor. I went through all that trouble and it's just _Luthor._

I move to hang up, but he calls out, "Don't hang up, just yet. I have something to say I just _know_ you'll want to hear."

And isn't that cryptic and threatening. I roll my eyes but bring the phone back to my ear.

"You have five seconds before I stop listening. Talk."

"I'm hearing about all this interesting news from Gotham. Just last month there was an earthquake - we felt it here in Metropolis, you know? And then there's this news that the Joker's gotten out and was found in what looks to be your building. So, I thought I'd check in with you. Are you alright?"

Right. The earthquake _I_ caused. When I was with Red. And Joker. Fuck.

"I'm fine. Why are you _really_ calling me? You have two seconds left."

"I can't call just to check in?"

"No." No, he can't. Because he's a psychopath and he paid Falcone to kill mom and -

I'm not letting him know anything about what I know.

He sighs, and I swear if I saw him, I'd think he was leaning back in a swivel chair, or something.

"I wanted to invite you to-"

"No thanks."

Because fuck no. I don't need an invitation to another one of his-

"It's a small get together for charity. It'll be held at LexCorp's downtown office in Metropolis. Next week. Saturday. Eight o'clock. You're name's on the list whether or not you show up. It'll be a good opportunity for you, now that you've graduated."

Damn. He's not wrong. I desperately need to network. But I still hate his guts.

"I'll think about it."

I hang up. Because I'm not dealing with this shit. Not right now.

"Who was that?"

Right. Tim - _Robin_ \- whatever - is here, now.

"A fucking psychopath."

"So . . . your boyfriend?"

"What?" Where did that come from?

"You know - Red Hood - psychopath - it fits." He shrugs after weighing the two and giving me a slightly judgemental side eye.

"Whatever. It wasn't Red, Red's not _that_ much of a psychopath, and we're not dating. Anyway, it was _another_ psychopath."

"You know another psychopath? How?"

I glance at him - and . . . "Is that ham?"

"Huh, oh, yeah, I thought - hey! Don't change the subject!"

Damnit. "I don't want ham. It makes my stomach upset. I need something else. And if we're getting something from the cold cuts section, we should probably get bread too."

As I head to that isle, he just hangs back and stares at me.

"What?"

"You - why do you have _that_ stuff?"

I look down at my basket, and - right. I have four jars of pickles (I don't even know _why_ , because I fucking hate pickles, but it seemed like a good idea when I was taking it off the shelf, I mean it was on sale so . . .), cheese, and brownies. A whole three boxes of premade brownies. And I don't know how to answer the teen, so I shrug, drop my stuff into the cart and walk away.

"Hey! Don't think we're done talking!"

And fuck. He just won't shut up, will he?

"I don't know. I just wanted it."

"Who likes pickles that much?"

"I hate pickles."

The poor kid looks so confused - you and me both, buddy.

He doesn't say anything at the cold cuts section, or the bread. It's only when we get to the checkout that he opens his dumb mouth again.

"Why would you get pickles if you hate them?"

The checkout person, an elderly woman, hears him and gives me a judgemental side eye too. Well, no one asked you.

"That'll be $87.55. Will it be cash or credit?"

"Don't look at me," Robin says, and she gives him an even more judgemental eye than she gave me.

I roll my eyes at him but hold up my credit card.

I don't stick around for much longer after that and then - fuck. I forgot clothes. But I'm so hungry that -

Nope.

"Hey!"

Can't go any further. I was running on fumes before because of Mrs. Janet, and now, I'm done. I collapse into Tim's arms and barely hear him begin to panic before all I know is darkness.

* * *

I wake up again in a completely unfamiliar place. It's dark and somewhat damp. Almost like a cave. And there's someone standing right over me with a mask and a bunch of other people just behind -

"Where the fuck am I."

I try to sit up, only to be pushed right back down by Tim - Robin - _whatever._

"Slow down, you fainted in the middle of the street."

Yeah, I figured - but my thoughts are interrupted by the sound of engines before I can say anything to wonder boy and - why the fuck is Red following Batman into this cave and -

Fuck. This isn't just any old cave, is it?

"Get your fucking hands off her."

And that would be Red.

"Jason, get back here. We weren't finished talking."

That's Batman, and he's following Red like he's about to tackle him to the ground. Only maybe I shouldn't be so worried for Red since he just grabbed Tim by the collar of his shirt and looks set to murder him.

"Hey, chill out Red, I'm fine." With no one to stop me, I sit up without a problem, even as my stomach grumbles, and my body wants nothing more than to sleep for ten hours straight. And food.

"And what do you think you were _doing_?"

Oh hell no. He does not get to lecture me.

"I don't know what your problem is, but I was just trying to get all my ducks in a row, thank you very much. No need to chew Tim out when all he was doing was making sure I didn't fall on my face - thanks for that, by the way."

He doesn't look pleased, though he does flinch when I use his name and actually lets go of the poor teen.

"Yeah, no problem."

Tim looks like he wants to get out of here fast, though.

"You should rest here tonight."

Batman's talking to me - tell me this isn't my life.

"Why the hell should she?"

Oh? Red coming to my rescue again? Only it's Tim that answers, as if I don't even get a say.

"Her house is under investigation, because the Joker was found there. And let's face it, your little hideout is no safe house, it's barely a headquarters."

Red seems pissed as all hell, but he can't argue - his place is a dump.

"I'm not leaving without her, Bruce."

Wow - that's . . . almost sweet of him.

"You can stay here too, you know."

Red scoffs just as my stomach growls again. Because, it's been a solid day since I've eaten anything, not that I'm counting. And because I upchucked anything I might have eaten and because I dropped a building on Falcone.

And now, this butler-like person I vaguely remember seeing from the one Halloween trip I took to Wayne Manor what feels like a lifetime ago is in front of me with a cup of what smells like mint tea and table water crackers.

"Thanks."

"So . . ." great, Dick wants to talk now, "How long have you known him?"

"It's none of your damn business."

Oh, Red, you really need to chill like -

"You -"

"He's been around for a while." Because Dick doesn't get to rag on Red about this. "But he's right. It's really none of your business."

"But you - what did you mean you did the rest at Falcone's?"

Right. I did say that before I left Red's place. But, I already had this conversation with Tim earlier.

"I already told you, she was making shit up."

Huh. Red's taking the credit _again_.

I try not to roll my eyes and instead try to focus on the table water crackers and tea.

The argument seems to be gaining volume even as I much and sip, until finally Red seems to explode.

"We've been over this. For a couple of hours already. We're done."

The cave is silent for a hot second, before Jason looks to me and holds his hand out, "You coming with me?"

Before I can respond, Batman interrupts, "Jason, I - Just please . . . stay the night. We can talk about this in the morning. And this way, she can sleep somewhere comfortable."

That's never a good idea, but fine.

"Master Jason, would your old room suffice?"

Jason seems to deflate at the butler's words, even as he steps closer to me.

"Yeah, sure that sounds fine Alfred."

"Just -"

"Beat it, replacement."

I try not to roll my eyes at that. And then - "What are you doing?"

"Leaving this damn helmet here in the cave. It gets stuffy as hell. Want a tour?"

And there's his face again. The back-from-the-dead face of the original Annie's crush. And I suppose mine too. . .

"Sure, but I need to eat some more. Do you think we can get some more of these crackers and tea?"

He seems to roll his eyes a bit, but he's got a smile tugging on his lips - so that has to be a good sign.

* * *

We don't talk about the elephant in the room - mainly his death. Even though I get the feeling that he really needs to talk about it. We don't talk about it when we're in the kitchen of Wayne manor with the butler - _and holy Lord I'm in the kitchen of Wayne manor, this is surreal -_ and we don't talk about it when he gives me a little tour (like minimal, he showed me the bathroom and his room and let me take a shower), and we don't talk about it when he comes back from finding an outfit for me to wear - "It's Dickhead's girlfriends'. He said she wouldn't mind."

It's honestly kind of stressful. But I don't want to be the one to bring up his supposed death.

Even if the curiosity is killing me.

So I leave the conversation be, and we don't really talk much that night - even as he tugs me to his chest and kisses my shoulder before he rests his chin above my head.

* * *

The sun doesn't wake me up like it normally does. It's the arm over my waist and the warmth at my back - _and who the fuck is this?_

Whoever it is is keeping me tucked under their chin and I'm hungry. This is not going to work. I need food.

This arm is heavy as no one would believe and the more I try to move it, the more it tenses and keeps me caged.

Who the fuck is even - oh.

Right.

This is Red's - Jason's - room - in the manor - _mansion_ \- owned by his Adoptive father. The Batman.

"Go back to sleep." He's muttering in my ear.

But no. I slept fine and more than enough and now I'm done. I need to eat. "I'm hungry."

That seems to get him moving, finally.

It's a little awkward, as I grab the clothes I've probably been wearing for three days straight, now that I think about it - only for him, in his shirtless glory to snatch it away.

"We can wash it later, you can wear something else."

He's back within ten minutes with a different set of clothes.

"We're leaving after breakfast, if that's okay."

He's hesitant, I can tell. Almost as if he doesn't want to leave."

"If that's what you want," I answer, but I can tell that didn't address whatever the hell he's worried about.

"I mean I can understand if you want to join the bat and stay in this place, I would too, if I didn't have my beef with -"

"I don't understand."

I interrupt because what the hell is he going on about?"

"If you want to stay, you can."

I'm trying to figure out what he's thinking, but it's not easy.

"I _want_ to go back to my apartment, but the police have it under investigation. I had no say in coming here."

He doesn't say anything for a hot second, seeming to think about my words before turning and saying, "Let's go eat and then we can leave this place."

Breakfast is . . . interesting.

Tim doesn't look like he slept a wink and has a large mug of steaming black coffee that he keeps filled to the brim as he sips away and flips through a stack of papers, books, and notepads.

He doesn't even look up, muttering to himself the whole while, when Jason grabs a piece of toast and accepts a plate of eggs and bacon from Alfred.

And while all of it smells appetizing, I'm just given a piece of toast and more tea - did they mention anything about my up chucking from yesterday?

I can't wait to fucking get out of here. I need more food than just toast.

The calm in the kitchen is interrupted, though.

"Morning Tim."

And there is the original boy wonder stumbling into the kitchen shirtless with a yawn and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Morning _Dickhead_."

Jason seems particularly upset right now.

Either way, Dick seems to stop for a second and take a good look around at the room.

"Oh - hey, Jason. Annie."

In the awkward silence that follows, I chomp on the rest of my toast, grab another slice and get up.

"Well, this has been fun, but it's time for us to go. Lots to do - people to see. Come on, Jason."

That seems to get Tim to look up from his papers in surprise for the first time this morning - just in time for me to grab Jason's arm and drag him out of the kitchen.

We don't stop when we pass Mr. Wayne in the hall, even though he does, and I can feel his stare at our backs. We don't stop when we get to the motorcycle. I just get on, strap the helmet on and sit on the bike while Jason seems to have some kind of mental epiphany.

"Tim said your apartment was under investigation, right?"

"Yeah."

"And to be clear - you don't want to stay?"

"No."

His face seems to brighten a little and his lips twitch into almost-a-smile. Then he grabs his own helmet and he's Red Hood again - the crime Lord.

* * *

The hideout is a dump, but the first time I was here I wasn't exactly given a tour given that I'd just woken up from a fever (I'm feeling fantastic now, by the way.) It's better than I thought it was. It doesn't have a bathroom in the conventional sense - because there's no place to bathe - but there _is_ a toilet. It's just not accessible from the inside of his tiny studio-like space.

I'd been in such a hurry the day before I'd missed it.

"So yeah, this is my -"

"Lair. It's your lair. Don't you dare call it home."

He snorts at that.

"Sure. Whatever. So, what are you planning to do now?"

"I need food. And - fuck." I forgot the food I bought at the store, didn't I?

"What?"

"Well, my stopping by the Grocery Store yesterday is pointless because I forgot it at your dad's place."

"I can just get Chinese takeout if you want."

I try not to make a face at that - because I can't stand Chinese takeout - but I don't think I succeed.

"What?"

"I just . . . if you're getting takeout can't it be something like -" I struggle to think of something appetizing that also doesn't make my stomach want to revolt at the thought of it - what is _wrong with me?_ \- "I don't know a sandwich from a bodega?"

He huffs out a laugh.

"Sure. But you do -"

I interrupt, because _fuck_. I didn't just forget the food at the manor. I forgot my backpack with the piece of Amazo's leg and my laptop and -ugh.

"We have to go back."

His face is blank.

"I can't - I - I forgot my backpack with my laptop and the intel and fuck."

I think I'm having trouble breathing? Why is everything getting difficult to focus on?

"I'll grab it, and the food. Just. Calm down."

 _Calm down?!_

I sit on the couch as he grabs the helmet and heads back out, giving me a somewhat concerned glance before he's gone.

And. . . and I can't. I need air.

I leave ten minutes after he does.

* * *

I don't know where I'm going at first. I just wander the city a bit, looking into the shop windows and grab a newspaper off the sidewalk - it looks like the hiring section.

Mostly there are bartending and waitressing positions, though I do see a position as an office assistant at Wayne Enterprises.

I crumple of the sheet of paper and toss it because what kind of references can I put there? I killed my last boss, Black Mask the other guy I was working for is in prison, and both of them were Mob Bosses?

Let's face it - Wayne Enterprises is run by The Bat. And I'm sick and tired of him butting into my life.

My stomach growls in protest when I pass by a local cafe without stopping, and I somehow I find myself in front of the hospital again.

"Oh, Ms. Simon!" Oh fantastic. The nurse - nurse Clarice, her name tag tells me - remembers me.

"Hi."

"Are you here to see Ms. Smith?"

Ms. Smith? No one calls Mrs. Janet 'Ms. Smith.' And this nurse's face does not look very optimistic.

"Yeah." Not that I set out intending to see her, but while I'm here . . .

The nurse's face is mostly blank, but her brows do furrow a bit.

Mrs. Janet's awake, but looking even worse than she did before, and something about it doesn't sit right.

"Hey."

She smiles when she sees me, and though her voice cracks a bit, I still understand what she's saying.

"Annie!"

"Hey," I repeat. Like an idiot.

"Come here!" Her smile is big, but it looks as if she's in a lot of pain, and her body is riddled with bruises I didn't notice last time.

"How are you feeling?" I ask pulling the chair by the window closer to her bed.

She grimaces as she attempts to shift in her bed, "Could you move the pillows dear - behind my back?"

"What? Oh, sure."

As I'm moving the pillows, I notice even more bruises and the board on her wall detailing information about her condition, how they don't have plans of moving her out anytime soon, because she's got multiple internal injuries and a couple of surgeries scheduled for the next two weeks.

I also notice physical therapy there as well, because apparently she has a back injury that may have caused permanent damage.

"Annie," she interrupts my thoughts with her words, and I look back to her, "I meant to speak to you earlier, but you left so quickly."

"What is it?"

"I think I'm going to tell them I don't want treatment."

Her words are quiet, I almost think I mishear them.

"What?"

"I think it's time. I've lived a long life. And I'm in so much pain."

She sounds like she's about to cry.

"No," She looks up at me, mildly shocked, and I continue, trying to think of something to change her mind, "You'll be okay. I'll take care of you, you - you can't leave me yet."

She stares at me for a moment, then her lips twitch a bit.

"It's just a thought," she says. And then she closes her eyes and before I can say anything else, she's asleep, and all I'm left with are snores.

I don't leave her that night, getting food at the hospital cafeteria and sleeping in the seat next to her bed.

* * *

He's in the hideout when I return at noon the next day - just sitting on his futon bed thing, a bottle of beer in his hands, and looking like he hasn't slept a wink.

"I needed some air, and then I ended up at the hospital and -"

"Are you okay?" He's jumped off the couch so quickly and is in front of me in two steps, hands on my shoulders and staring at me, trying to make sure I'm okay.

"What? No yeah, I'm fine. I was just visiting Mrs. Janet."

He seems to relax, and sighs, holding me at arms' length before his lips twitch and he says, "By the way, I ate your sandwich."

I roll my eyes, walking past him and making my way to his tiny refrigerator - where my shopping and backpack are.

"You got it for me."

"Yeah. Tim didn't even seem to know what was in there - it was still in the car collecting dust. Have you been able to get anything off it yet."

"Hm? No." I'm barely paying attention as I open it up and pull the leg out.

"Here, I got it."

And before I know it, he's hooking it up to his many many computers.

"You going to let me help or -"

He chuckles. "Let me do my job."

"Your job? I thought you were a mobster."

"I was not a mobster, I was like low key -"

"You put a bunch of heads in a duffel bag to scare Black Mask's associates. You were a mobster."

He lifts his eyebrows at me. "Do you want help or not?"

This - I can't - there's a smile on my face I'm trying to keep stuck as a frown, but it's not working.

"Type away. Show me what you got."

At some point, while he's digging through lines and lines of code and turning the leg this and that way, analyzing the hardware, I fall asleep.

* * *

The phones ringing again, and I'm this close to smashing it with the tremors of doom. But I don't. Whatever I'm on is lumpy as fuck, and I have the strange feeling that breaking my phone would be smarter than staying on this futon.

So I answer the fucking phone.

"You've reached Annie Simon. How may I direct your call?"

"Uh - that - this is Police Officer Sanchez with the GCPD. I'm calling about your apartment and to see if we can schedule an interview at the precinct."

"Who is it?" Jason's here, I notice, right behind and really way too handsy, I decide as I brush his arms away and sit up, grabbing some clothes and getting up out of bed.

"Uh yeah, sure. When's good for you?"

Jason's trying to grab the phone without getting up out of bed, and it's not going well for him.

"How's ten o'clock?"

I glance at the time on my phone - eight fifty.

Ick. That means I have to leave really soon. Because there's no way I can leave the hideout like this. Damn.

"Yeah, that's okay. I can do that."

"Wonderful! We'll see you then."

"Yup, okay bye."

"Who was it?"

"The GCPD. They want to talk."

"Will you need me to break you out?"

I laugh. Because I can't tell if he's serious or not. And because I don't know if I'll need it.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The clock on the wall is slowly driving me insane. I'm sitting in this "interview room" and feel like a criminal - which, you know, I sort of am. But it doesn't change the fact that the clock is seconds from driving me completely insane and that I'm seconds away from crushing it into dust because of it.

As soon as I'd entered the Police Station, I'd seen the Joker being wheeled out in a wheelchair and straight jacket by some men in white coats.

And for a second, I thought he wasn't going to see me, but then he did and - he looked unhinged, smiling at me as if he was a five-year-old with a new toy.

"Hey - hey, Annie! Nice to see you! Have you -"

I couldn't help the shudder that ran through me and the ground to his chair, which caused a look of pain to pass across his face. And I knew I'd dislocated his broken bones again, because the screams he let out were inhuman.

Commissioner Gordon stomped in from an office above us. "What's going on here?! Get him out of here! He should have been out an hour ago."

"Out?" I asked, as soon as he reached me and then he was staring at me long and hard.

"This way, Ms. Simon."

Which is how I find myself in the interrogation room waiting for over an hour for an officer to question me. They even took my phone - said they had sensitive equipment in here or some other such bullshit.

If I had known it would take this long, I swear, I would not have bothered.

But a part of me really wants my bed back and if this is the only way to get access to my apartment then fine.

It's just as I'm contemplating just up and leaving that the door finally opens and in steps a guy in business casual and a police badge hanging from his hip.

"Hello, my name is Detective O'Neil and I have a couple of questions for you."

Fantastic.

"And then I can get back to my apartment you guys have blocked off for the past week?"

He looks slightly surprised and annoyed, but then, "Sure. We've cleared the apartment and have all the information we'll need from it. But let's start with this."

And there it is - the gun Falcone gave me months ago. Placed by a frowning police detective into the middle of the table.

"And this has to do with Joker's broken legs how?"

"This is an illegal firearm. Purchased illegally and not registered to you."

"I didn't purchase it. It was a gift."

"A gift from who?"

"A gift from whom," I correct, and he gives me a look that is equal parts confused and annoyed. "My boss, Mr. Falcone gave it to me. I don't really use it much except when I go to Mr. Falcone's private gun range."

"Ah. Yes. Your employer. We have records that you worked for both Mr. Falcone and Mr. Sionis."

"Who the fuck is Mr. Sionis?"

He looks at me for a hard second, then replies, "He's also known as the Black Mask."

"Oh. You mean the assistant position I had with Ms. Li. What about it?"

The detective looks nonplussed.

"Funny thing, Black Mask was recently arrested and Mr. Falcone's whole building was blown up on the night Joker went to your house."

I seriously don't know where he's going with this.

"And that's not all. The coroner's report showed Falcone, his son, and his daughter were all shot in the head."

I stare at the guy for a hot second before I reply. "Where are you going with this? I thought I was here to talk about an attack on me by Joker and the attack on my tenant . . ."

"And that's another thing. The Joker - he really likes to talk. And he mentioned you know a known criminal - the Red Hood."

There's silence in the room for a hot second.

"Am I under arrest?"

He clenches his jaw and nearly spits out his answer. "No."

"Am I free to leave, then?"

He doesn't respond.

"Or should I ask for my phone call?"

He leaves without responding. And I'm stuck in the interrogation room for what feels like forever, but according to the clock on the wall, is really just another hour. My stomach grumbles. If they plan to keep me here much longer they'd better fucking feed me.

And then - my phone is ringing. I can tell it is, because I can hear it - somehow - just past what I assume is a two-way mirror.

"You've reached the phone of Annie Simon."

Oh - no. They didn't. They didn't just . . . I can hear a mumbling - and isn't that weird - asking where Annie is and then -

"This is the GCPD, who is this?"

Not thirty minutes later, there's a commotion on the other side of the door, and yelling and stomping and then - the door flings open.

"Annie! There you are."

"Dick."

And look, it's the whole gang. Minus Jason - because wouldn't that be awkward, because isn't he supposed to be dead?

"Bruce is going to take care of everything, don't worry."

"I wasn't."

"And then we can -"

My stomach interrupts growling for food, and even as Dick stares at me trying not to laugh, Tim sticks his head in.

"Let's go. Bruce is kicking up a storm, you don't want to miss this."

And I'm really glad I didn't. Because by the end of his tirade, Bruce has an assurance I can use my apartment again and that Joker will not be able to press criminal charges against me. And I'll have my apartments back too, which is a plus.

And then I'm being shuffled into a limousine and am left staring awkwardly at Bruce.

"Where to, Mr. Wayne?"

"Well where do you want to go, Annie?"

I give the driver - a man I have never seen before - the address to my apartment and we settle into silence again. Until I break it.

"How did you even know to come?"

"Jason called and said he hadn't seen you in a few hours, and when he tried calling your cell, he got the GCPD. So I made a call to some people."

Of course.

Because that explains everything.

"And it won't cause you any problems?"

"Why would it be a problem?"

"Oh I don't know, maybe the fact that I used to work for Falcone and Black Mask? Take your pick. Won't it hurt your image, helping me out?"

He has a frown on his face, before we're interrupted by the ringing of my fucking phone and as I dig it out of my bag, I can feel all the eyes on me and -

"You've reached Annie Simon. How may I direct your call?"

"Hello, is this Annie Simon?"

Is this person stupid? That's just what I - the voice on the other end erupts into word vomit before I can respond.

"My name is Caitlin Jeffers, and I'm calling to personally invite you to the Smithson's Charity Event being hosted by Lex Luthor at LexCorp's downtown office in Metropolis the week after next."

Fuck.

"No."

"Okay."

What? That was way too easy -

"I mean, I'm sorry to hear that. I've heard so much about you, all good things of course, and I was really looking forward to meeting you there."

Bullshit. But . . . this girl's actually pretty funny. A part of me sees myself in her. But this girl's probably a terrible salesperson.

"Sorry, no can do. I have plans. Maybe next time though?"

The line is silent for a moment, and then, "Sounds good. Yeah. Okay. Um ...thanks."

I hang up the phone only to find the three bats staring at me.

"What?"

"Who was that?"

"Just -" I really don't want to tell them about Luthor . . . "A friend. She has a party next weekend, but I haven't exactly let my friends know about what happened these past few days."

"And why aren't you going?"

Well I can't exactly tell him about Luthor at this point, can I? Not with my stealing part of AMAZO under their noses . . .

"Like I said, I have plans. I have to clean my apartment. I have to find a new job. I have to -"

"There's a position with Wayne Enterprises."

It's Tim who interrupts me.

"Yeah? And how would Mr. Wayne feel about a self confessed former employee of two mob bosses?"

The car is silent again for a hot second before Mr. Batman speaks up.

"Something could be arranged, I'm sure. What are your qualifications?"

I can't believe I'm hearing this.

"I- I was an assistant to Ms. Li, Black Mask's assistant for a good while. And I organized reports for Mr. Falcone. Basic office work."

They're totally judging me.

"That's . . . impressive."

Sure it is.

"Look, you don't have to give me a job, I-"

"It's fine. I'll send your resume to Lucius."

"You don't even have my resume."

The look on his face seems to tell me he actually does and he's amused I would doubt him.

It pisses me off.

Thank the Lord I don't live too far from the Police Station, because just as I'm about to argue with Mr. Batman, the car is stopping.

"We're here, Mister Wayne."

I'm out of that car faster than a bat out of hell, even as I hear Dick call out, "We'll be in touch!"

* * *

I try not to think about it - the impending confrontation I'm bound to have with Batman. Despite the fact that he wants to butt into my life, I've had enough of millionaires and billionaires trying to force my hand.

And in trying not to think about it, I notice my apartment - which had yellow tape blocking the door - is a complete mess.

It also occurs to me that I did not have the written authorization to enter my apartment - Bruce did. And I'm not about to give them an excuse to come after me again. I need that authorization in writing.

I'm on hold for ten minutes before I finally get a detective.

"O'Neil."

Because of course it was the ass who interrogated me earlier.

"Hi, this is Annie Simon. I'm home, not inside, just - I didn't get anything in writing saying I could enter my house . . . could you send me an email with all that information? For my records?"

There's a sigh on the other end of the phone before he grumbles out "Yeah, yeah" and takes my information.

By the time I receive the email, I'm hungry and grumpy - so the mess waiting for me inside is enough to drive me to literal tears - and why the fuck am I even crying?!

I get started on the food (because that's more important than literally anything else) and by the time I'm tossing the last of the expired perishables into the trash bag behind me - there's another heartbeat behind me, right over there where - I hear a curse muttered.

Except, of course, Jason's here, I realize as I spin around with a box of cereal (it's not perishable, but it'll be sacrificed for my escape if necessary). He caught the jar of half eaten tomato sauce in his left hand while his right carries my groceries and he has my bag over his shoulder.

And he's scowling.

"What?"

"Were you not going to call and let me know you weren't coming back?"

Because of course he expects to be what I'm thinking about as soon as I'm free from an interrogation - the stuck up ass.

"I was hungry. And all this stuff is crap and useless at this point. Thanks for bringing the groceries."

At this point I turn back to my fridge and pull out the almond milk (I bought it a while ago and haven't used it for much since). Thank goodness it's still good.

While I'm making bland rice, he sits by the island behind me and silently stares. It's annoying.

It's as I slam the bowl of rice with almond milk, sugar, and cinnamon, that I've had enough of this.

"Why are you so upset, Jason?"

He doesn't say anything again while I shovel the food into my mouth, desperate to get something into my stomach before I collapse or maybe kill him out of my "hanger."

It's as I'm finally finishing the bowl, he speaks up.

"I owe you a bit of an explanation."

"You think?"

"I'm Robin. Or I was."

"I figured."

He seems to glare at me as he asks, "Do you want me to explain or not?"

"Fine. Fine. Go on - you were Robin, the boy wonder."

"Bruce Wayne found me stealing the wheels off the batmobile."

Wait, what? Seriously?

"It was after my mom died. School had let out. And . . ."

He trails off at that point, jaw tensing.

"You weren't getting the lunch money."

He doesn't react for a moment, but then he nods, forearms resting on the counter.

"I wasn't getting the lunch money. And he just parked the damn thing in Crime Alley. But instead of beating me up, he gave me a sandwich, talked to me, and then brought me to the manor to start training me to be Robin. Because apparently Dickie-head left."

He really doesn't need to be telling me this, but even as I start to open my mouth, he continues, "It was fine for a while, but I later found out my real mom was out there and - and I was stupid. I got myself killed."

What the hell?

"I went after her on my own, without any backup. I didn't listen to Bruce and -"

"Are you fucking blaming yourself for your own death?"

He looks startled. As if he didn't expect me to interrupt - because of course I'd been good so far.

"It was all a part of Joker's plan. And there was a bomb." He looks like he's trying to explain it, that the only possible reason for his death is that he was stupid.

"It wasn't your fucking fault."

He doesn't look like he believes me.

"Anyway, I died."

He's quiet again, and in the awkward silence that follows, I rub my arms to get the blood flowing, because fuck.

"I should have killed Joker when he was here last week."

His lip twitches as if he wants to smile but then his eyes harden, "He shouldn't have even been here in the first place."

"You're not wrong, but continue. You were dead?"

He nods.

"There's this very ancient League of Assassins," something about the name makes me pause - it sounds familiar, "and the leader is called Ra's al Ghul."

I definitely know that name. I watched the Batman movies with Christian Bale - it was pronounced differently, but I know that name.

"He has this thing called the Lazarus Pit. And he brought me back to life. But it's not a perfect fix. The pit messes with your head. And I don't even care that it did. I always had this anger anyway and I don't -"

"What kind of anger are we talking about here?"

"The kind that drives me to put ten heads into a duffel bag. That kind that has me hating Bruce so much for not killing Joker that -"

"I think anyone would be upset about that. I know I sure as hell would."

He does crack a smile at that.

"Yeah? Well, I think you're the only one. Anyway, I didn't . . . my mind wasn't in the right place and I couldn't remember much at first. And I stayed with them for a while. Coming back to Gotham, I was just going to get back at Bruce. And then I saw you in the alley and recognized you. And I needed an insider."

I try not to feel offended, but I nod and turn to the stove, starting to grab some pots and ingredients (because that rice was not enough, and I'm still hungry).

"Want some pasta? Fried in butter and garlic?"

"Sure. Anyway, I . . . things changed when Dick visited your apartment."

What the fuck is he talking about now?

"And I realized I'm not just angry about Joker, I'm angry they won't leave you alone either. That I can't leave you alone. Nothing good ever comes from associating with the bats. So, I'm sorry."

"Okay."

I have no idea what the fuck he means, but okay.

He looks confused, but doesn't look like he wants to argue. So the rest of the night passes in silence as we eat pasta and he spends the night in my bed again.

* * *

Jason joins me on my hospital visit on Friday. He's twitching the whole time we walk through the halls, but with his hair redone and with the old Mr. Simon's slacks and shirts I found in a chest in mom's old closet, he looks decent. And he's grown.

I have a feeling no one's going to connect this twenty year old with the dead fifteen year old adopted son of Bruce Wayne.

Besides, if it works for Clark Kent, then it ought to work for Jason.

"Mrs. Simon."

Jason seems to scrunch his face up at that, even as I correct the nurse - it's Clarice again.

"I'm not married. Ms. or Miss Simon, please. How's Mrs. Janet today?"

If Nurse Clarice's face was straight before, it's grave now. "She spoke with the doctor today. She's opting for hospice care."

What? I think my heart stops for a moment, even as the beating continues all around me.

"Are you serious? Where is she?"

"She's sedated and -"

I can't breathe, I feel sick, I need to -

Jason finds me somewhere to sit while Clarice grabs the paperwork, telling me there are a few things that need to be finalized and organized before Mrs. Janet kicks the bucket. And I can't - I . . .

"Are you alright?"

"No."

"Right."

By the time I finally get to the hospital room, I've got my breath back, but I still feel sick and I keep going over the last time I saw Mrs. Janet. She had bruises and she didn't look happy. And she mentioned this, but I didn't actually think she was serious!

But what I can't figure out is how? I had the power of attorney. And . . . I just don't understand.

And at this point, with the morphine dripping and keeping her comfortable, I can't even ask her about it.

"I just don't get it."

"How old was she?"

"In her eighties. She was a stubborn old woman with no children. Always telling me I had to give her grandkids."

And now I'm fucking crying again, damnit!

"Sounds like a riot. Wish I'd gotten the chance to properly meet her. Come on, Annie. Let's get you some food."

He takes me to the hospital cafeteria, seemingly getting over his apprehension that someone will recognize him, and before I know it, I have a sandwich in front of me and a carton of milk.

I'm strongly reminded of my elementary school days and the cafeteria. Only this time it's weird because he's the one buying me lunch and also he's staring at me funny. I don't know whether he's afraid I'll break or whether I'll bring the whole hospital down. Neither option sounds reassuring.

* * *

His arm is over my waist again on Sunday morning, and he's warm and -

I have to get up. I have way too much shit to get done today. I spent the whole day Saturday at the hospital, instead of looking for another job. And I plan to do the same today. While working on my laptop.

She hasn't woken up even once, and I know she's not going to.

Jason's still sleeping, face down on the bed as I grab my pull over sweater and pull my sneakers on.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm hungry."

He always does this it the mornings. He loves to lay in and do nothing. It's almost endearing.

"You're always hungry. Stay in bed, don't you care about me at all?"

Oh fantastic. He's being even lazier than usual.

"And yet, I am unmoved."

I hop out of bed, dodging his reaching hands before he can do anything more to keep me pinned to his side and head to the kitchen.

Jason follows shortly after, turning the news on while I make coffee and an omelette, and then there's an announcement that prompts a quick doubletake on my part.

"Yes, Janice - you heard me. There's going to be a charity ball in Metropolis on Saturday next in Lex Luthor's Corporate Office Building. The Guest list is very exclusive, and is rumored to be one of the most publicized social events of the year!"

"Why is this on?"

Without even looking back, Jason tells me, "it's a talk show."

"Yes, but why is it on?"

He smirks and I resist the urge to glare too harshly.

"Because I turned on the TV." He turns back to listen to the conversation going on a bit and then calls back to me just before I go back to the food. "You should try to go. You might be able to get more data straight off his computers and will probably have more luck then we've had with that piece of AMAZO you have."

"What do you mean, like a Trojan Horse?"

"Exactly. I think Tim has this really fantastic device that once it gets information off the hard drive wipes it completely and -"

"Wait, what did you say?"

"Tim - the replacement. He has this device. I can ask him to lend it to-"

Oh fuck no. He did not . . . damn it!

"I'm going to kill him."

I'm out the door and on my way to the metro when I register the heartbeats behind me, and assuming it's just Jason, I assume it's fine.

The sharp pain at the back of my head is the only warning I get before everything goes dark again, and all I can think of is, "Damn, not fucking again. This is getting really old."

* * *

Sorry for the late update. I'm going back to school and working on some original fiction that will hopefully be published and available for sale soonish… if you want to support that (please do) and also see more accurate updates, go to my username and add the dot com.

The link will also be on my profile. There will be a blog there with weekly "Press Conference" updates on Sundays at 5PM and a monthly blog with information about the Original Work and its worldbuilding on the first of every month. So check it out if you want to. Or don't . . . All of this is free, the ebook won't be . . .


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

I'm in . . . I'm in space?

My head is pounding even as I blink my eyes open and register a black sky out a metal-framed window and pinpricks of what must be stars and the feel of cold steel under my hands and under my head.

And then I sit up too quickly and nearly pull my arms out of their sockets. I'm shackled to a metal slab, wrists pinned to the table - like a bad cliche from a horror movie.

"You are Annie Simon?"

I snap to attention as a voice rings out clear in the sterile environment - to my right is a beautiful dark-haired woman wearing the best Wonder Woman costume I've ever seen and - that is Wonder Woman, isn't it?

And she's waiting for my name.

"Who's asking?" I reply instead, because I sure as hell don't feel like telling her anything. She kidnapped me. She tied me down to a metal table.

I don't have time to fangirl about one of the most inspiring women in the universe. Her face is impassive and she seems to be frowning, and I'm totally not panicking.

"We have some questions for you."

"Who's we?"

"Where were you the night of the Gotham-Metropolis Earthquakes that -"

"Like seriously, does Batman know I'm here?"

Because seriously, I doubt he'd be okay with other supers in his territory.

"You're the one in trouble here and you had better start answering my questions."

"Look it won't happen again, can I just go home?"

"So you admit to-"

"Seriously, does Batman know I'm here?"

Wonder Woman is frowning at me like I've disappointed her.

"Do you know who Batman is?"

"Answering a question with another question isn't very nice, you know."

"I asked you if you were Annie Simon first and you answered with a question, so I thought it was fair game."

Damn. She's good. But I suppose that's why she's called Wonder Woman.

The room we're in is free of decorations - almost like a prison - and I don't like it. It feels cold. And there's only one door in and out, which means if I have any hope of getting out of here - and my head is really having trouble wrapping around the fact that I'm in Space - then I need to start cooperating. Wonder Woman also looks like she's losing her patience with me, and I don't want to find out what happens when Wonder Woman becomes impatient.

"Fine. Yes, I'm Annie Simon. I was at home in my apartment in Gotham on the night of the earthquake, now can I go home?"

She looks as if I've just confirmed information for her, and her shoulders seem to become more rigid.

"What did you hope to accomplish by causing such destruction?"

Oh hell no.

"Nothing. I didn't know that would happen and it won't happen again."

"How can you be certain though?"

"You act like I'm only discovering these powers now, which is bull crap."

"And yet, you could not control yourself enough -"

"It was a one-off thing. I know why it happened and I'll pay better attention next time."

If there even is a next time. Jason has spent the past few nights in my bed recently, but we've just been curled up to one another. I think he knows I caused the earthquake - and fuck. This is so awkward. I'm talking to Wonder Woman about my sex life and -

"You do not know that. You are dangerous and need to be... trained at the very least."

"And once again I ask: does Batman know I'm here."

I stiffen after I speak because another two heartbeats have registered just beyond those doors - and someone else enters wherever the fuck we are and - that's Superman. Clark Kent. And a green man I recognize from my history books as the Martian Manhunter, who can read minds, I think.

And fuck this - all of this - this is - ugh!

"Batman is none of your concern. You caused a lot of damage you know, and if you don't know how to control it -"

"I can control it enough!"

"Obviously not if you -"

I destroy the shackles in response because I'm not about to sit here and -

"Excuse me, what do you think you -"

Superman, who seems to have lost patience with Wonder Woman steps forward and goes as if to block me from getting up.

"You made an earthquake and -"

"Like I told Wonder Woman, it won't happen again."

"But how can you be so sure? Do you know how much structural damage you caused? Because you didn't just hit Gotham, you hit Metropolis, too. You're too dangerous to just -"

"If I'm too dangerous than why am I here? You realize if I slip up, it's not just a little bit of shaking. We're in space."

"You'd die too."

Oh my fucking - this guy is shitting me, right?

"I assure you, we are being very serious."

The green guy has finally stopped being a fly on the wall - and how dare he listen in on my thoughts. What if he knows -

"Wonder Woman literally just told me I had shit control, so your argument is invalid. I mean, I know I can control myself, but you guys obviously don't believe that, or I wouldn't be here."

Superman looks like he's had enough of my bullshit, as he interrupts the Martian who was about to talk and scowls. "If your control is so good, why did you attack Gotham and Metropolis?"

This is even more awkward than having this conversation with Wonder Woman, because of course the Martian knows where my thoughts have gone - to the bed and the -

The Martian looks purple.

"Ah."

I look at the Martian dead in the eyes. "I didn't attack anyone. I didn't know that would happen, but now I do and like I said, it won't happen again. Stay out of my head."

"I believe I understand. Make sure it does not."

Both Wonder Woman and Superman turn to the Manhunter with incredulous expressions but he simply turns around and stares out the window. Into fucking space.

Wonder Woman turns to me. "What did you just think to him? He was as adamant as us about how dangerous you are."

"I know what happened to cause the earthquake. I'd never . . . I know better now and it won't happen again. The green guy just understood. Look, this is pointless. Just ask Batman and -"

"Batman insisted the earthquake was nothing. He just shrugged it off. Are you telling me he knew about you?"

Superman scowls and he looks super annoyed.

"I mean," I'm pretty sure I'm going to be in serious trouble with Batman in the near future. "Sort of. We don't really interact too much. He knows I exist. I know the boy wonder better than I know him."

They both stare and I try not to fidget.

"You know the boy wonder?"

"Yeah, well, I mean, I went to school with the second and then he - he died."

Here the martian turns back to me - as if knowing I've always known exactly who Batman is and - and shit.

The Martian is staring at me like I've grown two heads - like I'm more alien than him or any of his teammates.

Another door opens and suddenly I see Batman and Robin and - I'm completely terrified.

Is the Martian going to tell? Is . . .

"I told you I knew what was going on." Batman waltzes in like he fucking owns the place, and a small voice in my head whispers he probably does, and he's -

Have you thought of what the possible repercussions from your actions with the Red Hood?

What the hell? Was that - the martian?

Because it is not simply your consciousness I am sensing. It is faint, however . . .

What? What is he -

Is he talking about the before-Annie?

And then it clicks and I - I think I've stopped breathing - or if I haven't then my breath is at the very least super shallow. It feels like a bucket of ice water has been poured on my head - like that one ice bucket challenge.

"You kept her a secret from us, Bruce."

And they're just going on having a conversation like the Martian didn't just tell me earth shattering information. Is the Annie from before still here? Have I been devastating a nine-year-old dead girl?

"She doesn't want any part of the life. What was it she once told me…? She's not a superhero. She's just a -"

"A kid who didn't ask for any of this," I finish, interrupting Batman. Because I remember. I remember saying those words and now - fuck. I think - am I a thief? Is Annie still here? Are we two souls in one body? Is that what the other heartbeat is? A manifestation of -

"Just . . ." Superman looks so frustrated, as he shakes his head. "Just stay away from Metropolis."

"I didn't go there in the first place." I scoff as I hop of the table and storm past Tim and Bruce - Bruce who stays behind to talk to them and Tim who follows me.

"Hey, do you even know where to go?"

"I need to get out of here." I'm breathing too quickly, and I really need to slow down before I hyperventilate.

"Um - are you -"

"Get me out of here!" I interrupt. I interrupt, because I need to get out of here before I break something and end up ejecting us into space.

He gives me the side-eye but leads me to a tube that looks terrifying.

"I'll just need to temporarily key you in and then we can go."

He taps the computer some and then - "All set."

* * *

It's a nauseating way to travel, and I swear - never again. We end up in a nondescript alley in Gotham - because of course Batman would not make it so easy for the rest of the League to find his base of operations - and as I try not to focus on the putrid smell wafting to me from the discolored corner just past Tim - is that vomit? I think it is. Urgh - my own bile rises in my throat.

"Let's get out of here," I insist, heading out towards the street, only for Tim - stupid, annoying Tim - to pull me back.

"You don't look so good."

And then I can't help it -the smell and the - fuck.

Tim grimaces as I add my own vomit to the corner.

"That - doesn't usually happen."

"What was that -"

"It was a boom tube - it's a point-to-point wormhole that -"

I can't breathe. A wormhole? With me in it?

"Hey, are you okay? It's a perfectly safe way to travel and -"

"What were you thinking?! Why would you -" I can't even right now. "How did you even know where I was?"

"Jason came storming into the cave three hours ago about you being in space and abducted by aliens."

I try not to laugh at that, but I'm not successful.

"How did he figure that out? Because I sure as hell didn't until I woke up like ten minutes ago."

"He put a tracker on you." He points to the hair tie I have in my hair, and as I pull it off I scowl. Because of course there's another bug.

"Of course he fucking did."

"I mean, isn't that a good thing? That he knew where you were and was able to get Bats and I to rescue you?"

"I didn't need rescuing."

He's smirking, the little shit. "Sure looked like it."

"Yeah, well, I didn't."

"What did they even want?"

Hell if I know.

"They wanted to know about the earthquake I caused last month."

My answer seems to have shocked Tim because he stops in his tracks for a full two seconds.

"You caused that earthquake? Why?"

I try not to get too annoyed at his words, because let's be honest, I kind of brought this on myself.

"It was an accident."

"How do you accidentally cause an earthquake, it's not as if they're new powers, I mean -" He stops to think for a second "They're not new, right?"

At this point, I've about had it with this kid and all the supers wanting to know how I caused an earthquake. Which is why the next words that come out of my mouth are so crude.

"Look, I didn't know an orgasm would do that. I wasn't prepared and it's really none of your fucking business."

He's all red now, it's almost funny. Almost - because even thinking about that night right now is making it a little difficult to breathe and -

"Orgasm?"

Well at least he didn't choke on the word, and even as I feel the heat rise in my cheeks, I keep my face mostly blank.

"Jason knows what he's doing, at least."

There - Tim just started coughing.

"Anyway, I've been meaning to ask you about how you wiped my computer."

The kid looks so funny right now - like he doesn't want to think about me having had an orgasm while sleeping with his 'brother', but also intrigued that I'm asking about one of his gadgets, and not sure how to handle the topic whiplash.

"Why do you want to know about it? You trying to hack into Wayne Enterprises again?"

He's staring at my face as we walk down the street to - surprise surprise - a motorcycle.

Why do all the bats love their motorcycles.

"I told you already - that was practice. I've got bigger fish to fry."

"Oh no you don't. This goes both ways, you want something you have to -"

"LexCorp." I regret saying it as soon as it's out of my mouth, but oh well. "Lex Luthor paid Falcone to kill my mom, after having already made my life difficult with whatever he did to me to make me this way. I need to get into his computer system. I was just wondering what kinds of gadgets you have that would make this easier."

Drake still looks annoyed and he stares at me for a good ten seconds before he sighs and clambers onto his bike, scooting forward on the seat.

"Well, are you coming or not?"

* * *

The ride to the cave is interesting. We take back roads, and at least this time I can see where we're headed.

I'm also given the opportunity to think a lot, which is not such a good thing, I think. Because I'm thinking about what the Martian Manhunter said and about that night and -

The ride to the cave is mostly quiet, but the second we enter the cave, I can hear yelling and -

"This is fucking ridiculous! I should be out there!"

"Calm down, Jason."

"Don't tell me to fucking calm down!"

"Look it sounds like someone is here, so -"

I suppose they heard the sound of the bike - and as soon as we get to the main room, Jason has pulled me off the bike and has his hands wrapped around me and -

"What are you doing?"

"I can't fucking let you go anywhere can I?"

I will admit, it's getting old all this fainting. I obviously need to eat more.

"It's been a crazy week, I'll give you that. Can you let go of me, now?"

Jason seems to realize he's squashing me to his chest and at my words seems to tense and pull away.

"Yeah. Sorry."

"So where is this device, Tim?"

While I've been smothered by Jason's hug, Tim has hopped off the bike, walked past Dick who is smirking - but still obviously disgruntled that Jason had yelled at him.

I briefly wonder how long Jason has been yelling at Dick, but get distracted by his arm still wrapped around my waist.

"Right over here!"

The clanging of metal reaches my ears, and I can only assume Tim is rummaging through some kind of bin, which is honestly unacceptable. Do they not have a system of organization? What if they need something right away?

"So aliens abducted you?" Jason mutters and I tilt my head up to stare into his face - he's really tall . . .

Looking away, I turn back to Dick who is staring at us and smirking. It's actually really annoying, I'm tempted to say anything to get him to stop.

"Nah, it wasn't aliens. Just the Justice League."

"What?"

Dick and Jason speak at the same time and I can't help the smile that pulls at my lips.

"Jinx. You both owe me a soda."

Dick laughs, but Jason just scowls.

"What? It'll help with the throwing up too. You know, Ginger Ale, I'm told, really helps settle the stomach."

Nope. He's still scowling.

"What do you mean it was the Justice League?"

Tim is back by now, holding what looks like a regular computer chip - and the bastard answers. "They were questioning her about the orgasm-induced earthquake."

I'm going to kill him.

I'm going to jail for it, but I'm killing that little -

"That's all?"

I turn to stare at Jason whose face isn't even fazed. It occurs to me that he must have known I caused the earthquake. Is that why he stayed away for a little over a month and hasn't tried to recreate that fantastic amazing night since? Because as nice as it's been, heavy petting doesn't cut it all the way.

Tim looks so annoyed, as if he'd been hoping Jason would get embarrassed and Dick looks much too pleased.

"They could have just asked, they didn't have to kidnap her. And why the hell wasn't Bruce involved? He -"

He is interrupted by the sound of another motorcycle. The Batman has arrived and everyone is quiet while he removes the cowl - that must be super uncomfortable - and stares at all four of us.

"They should be leaving you alone now. I explained some things."

Batman is staring at me now and saying nothing. It's unnerving how much he's staring - as if I'm about to go on a rampage or something.

It's unnerving as hell and only interrupted by the sound of my phone ringing - I really need to put this thing on silent.

"Sorry," I mutter as I try to find my phone - but find nothing.

"You left it in the apartment," I hear, looking up and seeing Jason holding my phone out for me.

"Thanks," I say, taking the phone and answering the unfamiliar number. "This is Annie."

"Annie, my dear! It's so good to hear from you!"

And of course it's fucking Lex Luthor. I mouth his name to Jason who seems to tense up and the others frown in confusion.

"This is twice in one week. This is well over your quota."

"I'm hurt you think I would requisition my care for you to a quota," he says, and the sickly sweet dialogue makes me want to hurl. "I was hoping you had considered our generous offer regarding this weekend."

I glance at Jason who shrugs and I stare at Tim who's writing on a notepad.

YOU NEED TO FIND A WAY IN - TO PLUG THE CHIP INTO THE MAINFRAME IF YOU WANT IT TO WORK.

And fuck.

I stare at them for a good thirty seconds and then ask Luthor, "Can I bring a Plus One?"

Luthor's voice is clearly surprised as he responds. "Of course! That's wonderful! I can have a car sent over -"

"That won't be necessary. I'll see you Saturday next."

I may need this invitation to get more information, but I sure as hell am not about to get in a car driven by one of Luthor's minions.

"If you're certain. I look forward to our-"

"Yeah, whatever, bye."

The bats are all staring at me.

"What?"

"Why was Luthor calling you?"

Batman asked that question and I don't want to explain, not really.

Jason starts massaging his nose - right between his eyes and the others stare at him.

"You want to tell them? Cause we can just head home."

And now the others are staring at him.

"Home?"

Dick has an infuriating smirk on his face. I'd rather talk about my powers than my somewhat-relationship with Jason.

"When I was nine years old, I was in a car accident with my dad. Luthor was a drunk driver. My dad died and I was a vegetable. My mom signed some forms and Luthor had to pay all my medical bills. But I was practically dead. So he gave my mom a choice - a 'chance' he called it. I don't know if he actually thought it would work. But it did. But I couldn't remember anything and - and I got powers out of it, I'm pretty sure. Luthor seems to think he should be allowed more access to me because of it, I suppose."

They all look as if that all makes sense, but I don't think they understand quite how dangerous Luthor is to me and mine.

"He paid Falcone to kill my mom."

Tim's eyes widen and Dick looks taken aback.

"So are you trying to kill him?"

That's Batman this time. And I want to say yes. I do want Luthor to die.

"I mean, if that happens I wouldn't be heartbroken." Batman frowns, and out of the corner of my eye, I can see Jason step forward as if to protect me. "But I'd rather just ruin his life and business."

Now Jason is staring at me.

"With people like the Joker and the crazies of Gotham, yeah - just taking everything from them won't make them any less dangerous - it would probably make them more dangerous. But Luthor is a product of his money - the whole reason he's so dangerous is because of his resources. He was a drunk driver and he killed my dad - but because he had money, he wasn't charged with vehicular manslaughter. And then he's made my life hell too - with money. Do you know what Falcone said it was? A business transaction. My mom's murder was a fucking business transaction. So if Luthor dies, I won't be heartbroken. But I want him to suffer first. And he loves his money after all."

Jason crosses his arms next to me, and I don't know if he's smirking or not and -

"Tea, Master Bruce?"

Of course. The butler. And there are cookies on that plate. I want some . . .

"We'll talk about this more later."

"Yeah, yeah," Jason says, taking my arm and taking me toward his bike, but Bruce stops him.

"No, take the Jaguar."

Jason frowns. "I don't need your charity."

"It's not for you." Bruce is staring at me again. "A car is safer than a motorcycle."

Jason frowns but takes one look at me and nods, taking the keys that are tossed to him and muttering under his breath the whole time.

* * *

Hey all! GlidingOne here. So the interlude for this part - you know, how Mary Simon had an Interlude in Part 1? - well it's at over 10,000 words and still not done just yet. Because it's very long. Spanning both parts. And will begin at chapter 7 if you want it in here.

So we have a couple options, and I would like your input.

Option 1 - all in one chapter, imbedded in the story. The original plan.

Option 2 - in multiple chapters, imbedded in the story. Still close to the original plan, but more reasonable in terms of chapter size

Option 3 - every interlude as its own separate story (because this is not the last interlude and at least two others have already been started and planned).

Option 4 - all the interludes bundled into a story of just interludes.

Let me know by either reviewing or shooting me a PM!

Best,

GlidingOne


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

The Jaguar is a beautiful red sedan that stirs up memories from the me-before-Annie and even though Jason looks disgruntled as he unlocks the car and opens the door for me, he doesn't say anything.

"So the car instead of the bike?" I gather up the nerve to say as he drives back into downtown. "Why?"

"You heard Bruce, it's safer."

I scoff - because that's bullshit. "Never stopped you before."

Jason glances at me out of the corner of his eye and then looks back at the road. "I was reminded you were in a coma for a year because of a car accident. A car's safer than a motorcycle."

Right. Because any normal person would be scared of cars after that if they remembered it. But I'm not - because I don't.

"It's not like I remember the accident," I mutter, leaning on the door and staring at the trees outside as we zoom past.

Jason doesn't respond to that, he just grips the steering wheel a bit more. "Just because you don't remember it, doesn't mean motorcycles are safer, and I can't believe I -"

"Oh, don't start. I'm not a porcelain doll. I can take care of myself."

He snorts and sneers while keeping his eyes trained on the road. "I know you can take care of yourself. If you wanted, I'd be dead the second I touched you. You caused a fucking earthquake when you did let me touch you."

"Really? You want to go there?"

Is he really bringing this up? Is he really bringing up -

"And how the fuck does Tim - the fucking replacement - know what caused the earthquake."

I realize, at those words, he's not even upset about the earthquake. He's upset Tim found out he and I -

I'm left staring at his face. He's not looking at me. We've entered the city now. I feel obligated to explain to him why - why Tim knows. After all, while Jason looked completely unfazed in the cave, he must have been angry when Tim mentioned my "orgasm" because otherwise why would he be so annoyed by it.

"Tim kept bothering me about why the Justice League wanted to talk to me. Anyway, Martian Manhunter already knew because he read my mind and all and I -"

"Martian Manhunter read your mind?"

I was about to tell him about the Annie-before-me's spirit ghost consciousness thing - to get his mind off Tim and Tim knowing and because it's still mildly freaking it out - but okay, we can discuss this almost equally upsetting development. Because Martian Manhunter read my mind - my mind filled with memories of another world and -

"I suppose. I don't know how deep he got. He seemed a bit embarrassed when he realized the reason for the earthquake was . . ."

Jason smirks at me at my inability to finish that sentence, which I suppose is better than his reaction to Tim finding out - but I still have to restrain myself from glaring at him.

"The reason for the earthquake was amazing sex?"

I can't look at him right now. I think I want to disappear because he's staring and -

Instead, because it's been bothering me, I ask, "Is that why you disappeared for a month? Because you knew I -"

"Nah." His grip on the steering wheel tightens and he changes lanes, driving a bit faster and almost getting into a wreck with the car on the right that's trying to merge and cut us off now.

"Hey! Watch it!"

He hits the brakes and I lurch forward, not expecting it.

"Sorry," he mutters, "I - I had to stay away because Batman knows about you - or knew about you and was trying to get me to come back 'home' as he put it and then he kind of mentioned you with Joker in the room. To be fair, he didn't know Joker was in the room. And anyway - we were supposed to be talking about Martian Manhunter reading your mind. They had no right, they - what did you even say to them?"

He's turned down my street now, and speeding to beat the other sedan into a parking spot. He's trying to give me a heart attack, isn't he? So much for 'a car is safer than a motorcycle.'

I wait until the car is parked (the other guy shouts and flips his middle finger as he drives off) to respond.

"I didn't say much. I just . . . Bruce showed up before I could say anything, though I suppose Martian Manhunter filled them in after."

Jason looks like he's trying not to smile.

"It's not funny."

"I didn't say anything," he protests as he gets out, circling around to open my door.

"So . . . Plus one?"

Right. Because I agreed to go to that party, didn't I? Ugh, this is going to be a nightmare.

"Yeah, you up for going to a charity convention ball in Metropolis?" He glances at me again, and I have this sudden urge to get this one lock of hair out of my face, which I do. "I mean, it's okay if you can't, because like I get it. You're known as dead, and I can always ask Emma or Sarah. But you'd be better at planting bugs." Because I just know Luthor is going to have me shadowed the whole time. "And I really don't want to ask Big Bird, who's the only -"

"Sure."

I look up, and he's smiling a bit. But there's one more thing I need to get info on.

"Do you think Bruce has any places to stay in Metropolis? Only because it's going to last all day, I think, and I mean I don't want to go, but if I do, and we end up having to stay then I don't really want to come back at midnight -"

"I know of a couple of his safehouses," he mutters, leading me up the stairs.

"So that's a yes?"

He smothers a laugh as he opens my apartment door.

"Yeah."

As soon as we're inside and the door's closed, he pulls me to his chest and kisses me.

* * *

Between getting 'kidnapped' by the Justice League and accepting Luthor's invite, I forget Bruce Wayne's offer about a job. So when I get a call from Wayne Enterprises on Monday, I'm confused for all of two seconds.

"I'm sorry, what? Can you repeat that please, you cut out for a second."

He didn't really cut out, but I want him to repeat what he just said, because I'm not certain I heard that right.

"Yes, Your application for Office Assistant was reviewed, and your recommendations were great! I mean you had a recommendation straight from the big man himself and we'd like to extend you an offer of employment."

"But I haven't even interviewed."

"I mean, I can schedule you for one if you'd like."

"Yeah. sure. I mean, yes, of course, I'd love to - let me just get a pen and paper."

I really need to organize this pile of bills.

"There's just one thing I'm worried about." I add, because this is - this is way too fast.

"Oh? Just one?"

"Well only one I feel comfortable bringing up just right now."

He chuckles, and I tense a little. "Alright?"

"I'm going to be out of town, in Metropolis, this weekend. Maybe a little longer. That - that won't cause any problems, will it?"

"It shouldn't? But I'll make a note in the file, if you'd like."

"Yes, please."

I hang up the phone to find Jason staring at me. He'd been getting some stuff together for our trip to Metropolis this weekend - guns, bugs, suitcases, and the like.

"What?"

"What was the call about."

He's going to throw a fit. I know he is.

"I was offered a job at Wayne Enterprises."

Jason doesn't frown like I expect, but his lips thin into a line. "You going to take it?"

"I might. I mean, Falcone is dead and Black Mask is probably having troubles now anyway - and I got fired, so . . . I mean I talked them into giving me an interview first before they put me on the payroll, so . . ."

He stares at me and I don't know why he's staring and not saying anything.

"What?"

"I mean I'm technically a crime lord and you apparently have a knack for working for them."

"You going to keep up that business?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Oh, I don't know. You may not have wanted them to know it, but I think you liked seeing your brothers."

"What does that -"

"Why did you really get into the crime business?"

"Because Batman doesn't do enough. Gotham hasn't been saved."

"And what, you think that's going to happen all at once? You know Batman's basically the maid right? He's just cleaning up the mess. The problem is he's not a part of the family making the mess and if he would just raise his kids right and -"

Jason kisses me again and chuckles. "What are you going on about."

I don't even know anymore.

"Just-" he kisses me again as I try to talk. "If you want me to work for you -hmm -" he's trying to distract me, but I want to finish this thought - "- you just have to ask."

His arms circle around my waist and I wrap mine around his shoulders and pull myself up to kiss him better - and then he's groaning. "Annie - we can't."

He's not talking about me working for him.

"Why?"

Because he's spent the past week with me and - nothing! All he does is stare at me as if I should already know why. It's frustrating as all fuck.

"You caused an earthquake last time."

And - right. Except my powers only work if I've eaten, and I haven't eaten for six hours. I made sure not to because I knew he was going to be here all day.

"I wasn't prepared last time. I am now. Besides, you started this, so if you don't hurry up and finish it, I'll take care of it myself."

He groans, but shakes his head.

"Just. Let's practice just a bit more. Okay?"

No. Not okay. Because what does that even mean? But whatever. I'm tired and hungry and apparently it's all for nothing.

* * *

I stop by Wayne Enterprises on Tuesday for the interview and end up staying to fill out paperwork for my new job and grab a burrito bowl with pickled jalapeños on my way home because I'm so hungry and haven't had anything since breakfast six hours ago.

The rest of the week sees me going through orientation and I barely see Jason. Happily, I don't throw up at all. I guess it was a bug and I'm better now. It was bound to happen sometime.

Jason comes back at noon on Friday, and smiles while I'm making chocolate fudge on the stove, and I don't really understand why until he shows me a certificate from City Hall - he's been declared alive again. There's a whole case and -

"So you're saying you're alive? Like legally?"

"Bruce's lawyers got it all rolling and came up with a cover story - I really did die, but the story is some cultists got a hold of me and brought me back. It's not that far fetched. We have superheroes after all, and magicians, and -"

"And why did you do this?"

"Just . . . just in case."

Whatever that means, I have no idea, but I shrug.

It's all over the news that night - Jason Todd, the adopted son of Bruce Wayne is back from the dead.

* * *

As far as I can remember, I've never been to Metropolis. That's not to say this body has never been there, I just don't remember it. Annie's father had family from there after all. They'd died and she'd gone to the funeral. In Metropolis.

On the way back, Annie died, and I turned up.

Jason's driving the Jaguar this time, instead of Annie's father. There's also a reservation at a really nice hotel for Friday and Saturday night that Bruce got us - because apparently the safe houses haven't been updated with Jason's biometrics yet.

Jason's been alive for a total of a day and he's milking it for all it's worth - taking the attention off me, which is great.

By the time we make it through to LexCorp's downtown office on Saturday morning, I'm pretty sure we've been stopped ten times and I'm hungry.

"Welcome to the Smithson's Charity Event - here are your name badges. Lunch will be served in an hour."

The check-in sure is interesting and I stare at the lanyard in my hand in slight annoyance.

"He's not trying to track us, is he?" I ask, because I definitely wouldn't put it past Luthor to do that.

Jason inspects my lanyard for a bit then hands it back to me.

"Even if he is, you can always use that to send Luthor in the wrong direction."

"Right. Because that's -"

"Are you really Jason Todd?"

What the hell - it's a tall skinny blond that just interrupted us and a quick glance at her lanyard tells me this is "Cat Grant" from the Daily Planet.

"Uh, yeah - I-"

"Did you really come back from the dead? What was that -"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"But, Mr. Todd - at least - who's the girl with you?"

Jason looks annoyed, and steers me away before Ms. Grant can get another word in edgewise - though I vaguely hear her ask just as we get a bit away if his 'girlfriend' has anything to say.

"How many more people do you think are going to stop you to say hello? I only ask, because I need something to eat and if it's going to be a while, I'm leaving you for the snack table."

Jason just chuckles as he shakes his head and tells me to "go eat, I'll find you in a bit."

Then he gets really close - "I'll go and put some bugs where I can. Try not to get caught."

Then, just before he goes off, he looks me straight in the eyes and says, "If you see Dickiebird and The Replacement, tell them to leave you alone and have them come find me." He goes off, and I'm alone and free to head to the table with snacks, wondering what he's talking about.

People are mostly milling around and I grab some food and just start cramming the small hors d'oeuvres into my mouth. They're good. A little salty.

I try to pay attention to the conversation being made around me, and no one asks me my name, which is a relief probably related to the name tag in the lanyard, but I get bored. Since I'm supposed to be planting bugs, I exit the room as quietly as possible.

LexCorp's main office is interesting, and the more I walk around, trying to find some kind of computer, the more I begin to feel like something's wrong. It's hard to breathe, my shoulders are tensing, I'm going to get caught and then Luthor will brainwash me and I'll become his personal Winter Soldier and -

I need to calm the fuck down.

I crush the camera lenses of the security cameras I see and make my way to a staircase (thank goodness for Fire Regulations, elevators are way too easy to track).

I need to get this done fast, because the longer I'm gone the more likely it will be that someone will find out I'm missing.

The moment I find a door labeled "Lex Luthor" I check my phone - it's been thirty minutes and I have a text from Jason asking where I am.

 _Looking for the restroom_. I shoot back, pulling out a hairpin and kneeling to pick the lock. And when that ends up not being enough - because of course he has a handprint scanner - I blast the inner workings of the door and turn the latch to dust.

Lex Luthor's office is nice. It has large windows, is on the top floor (of course it is, my legs are killing me), and have a very minimalist style.

And there's a computer.

I'm running out of time, so I stick the USB into the computer, quickly log in and download Tim's Trojan horse into the mainframe - adding a couple of my own edits - before I cover my tracks, and dash out. I leave a bit of a mess, but only because I messed up the door so much, trying to get in.

The trip down the staircase is a lot faster than the trip up, and I'm back in half the time. It's as I'm planting the third bug in one of the vases, while surreptitiously looking for a bathroom that someone clears their throat.

"Miss?"

What? I spin around and wince slightly. "Yes?"

"Are you alright? This is not where the convention is happening - I -"

"Annie!" I know that voice.

"Dick."

The waiter chokes, looking terrified he's going to have to break up an argument - because Dick's name is an insult and not everyone knows he wears the nickname with pride.

"Hello, sister-mine."

What is he going on about?

"I'm not your sister, Dick. What are you on about?"

"You're practically my sister, it's all just semantics anyway at this point. Anyway, did you get lost trying to find the bathroom?"

Perfect - an excuse.

"Yeah - you know me. I have no sense of direction."

I laugh to throw the waiter off. I'm not sure how well it works, but I allow Dick to take my arm and lead me back into the library.

"What are you even doing here, Dick?"

Because we're not in Gotham anymore, we're in Lex Luthor's corporate office.

"Tim and I are here representing the Wayne Foundation. I saw you sneaking out a few minutes ago and wanted to make sure you were okay."

I pull my arm away once we're back inside and I see Jason eyeing me from across the room.

"I was doing fine."

"Sure you were."

But I don't find another chance to sneak away before lunch is served and a speaker takes the podium in this huge ballroom like place.

At least I haven't run into Lex Luthor yet.

After lunch everyone heads into another room to look at paintings and I drift, keeping Jason in my periphery.

It's weird - everything about this whole floor it's -

"Ah, Annie! Let me introduce you to my ward - Caitlin Jeffers. Caitlin, this is Annie - you two spoke on the phone, remember."

Damn. So close.

"Right."

I look her over - she looks vaguely familiar - like something is tugging at my memory one second, but the next I shake it off and try to focus on her objectively. She's much taller than me - then again almost everyone is - with curled half-up half-down brown hair and brown eyes. Her dress and jewelry are a matching green and the dress would show off her curves if she weren't clutching her skinny arms to her sides almost as if to hide them. She looks like she would benefit from a meal, which is such a mood. Her shoes - four-inch stilettos? why? - explain her ridiculous unnecessary tallness.

I don't envy her at all.

"Hi. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you."

"Where's your plus one?"

"He's . . . around."

"Jason Todd, yes? Prodigal son returned from the grave?" Luthor looks much too interested in that. "How do you know him?"

"Oh, well - you know. We were classmates. I really should be -"

"Oh, of course! Please, girls - talk. I must be getting to the other guests, but it was good to finally see you again, Annie. So glad you finally accepted one of my invitations."

Yeah. Right back at you, psycho.

"So . . ." I stare at her for a second and then look back at the paintings. "Art. What's your favorite color?"

"Um," she mumbles, looking at the ground, like she'd rather be anywhere else, which is also relatable. "I don't - I mean - if I had to choose, I guess purple?"

"Cool." She's weird, I decide - because she sounds so uncertain. And I'm getting a weird feeling just from being around her. "I'm going to go, but it was nice meeting you. Catch you later?"

"Yeah… sure. Okay."

Once I get just far enough away that I can't even see her anymore, my stomach lurches and suddenly I have only one thing on my mind. I break away into the hall and start opening doors because I only have a little -

"Miss Annie? Are you lost again?"

"Uh, yeah," I say, swallowing for like the third time in the past minute and trying to buy myself time by not breathing too hard and not letting any saliva accumulate in my mouth. It's not really working. "I just. Really need to use the bathroom… Where is it?"

"You've been looking for the bathroom an awful lot this morning."

"Yeah, well, I really need it!"

Nope, no more time to spend chitchatting with this waiter dude - he can scold me all he wants later - after I - I throw myself through the next door because it's as good as any - and fuck.

As the food I just ate not even an hour ago violently evacuates my body and into a nearby wastebasket - I don't envy whoever has to clean this mess because it's a wastebasket for paper and so it doesn't have a liner - I feel cool hands pulling my hair off my sweaty neck. Fuck, I thought this was over. I'd been okay for a good week! I cough up a few more chunks, then swallow the rest down as the convulsions subside and I'm able to stand up again.

Only to find that it's fucking Luthor who's been holding my hair. And I can feel a chill creeping down my back at the thought because - I almost go to throw up again.

"Miss Annie, are you unwell?"

"Clearly," I manage to not spit. My mouth tastes awful and, in an effort to keep up appearances despite how fucking angry I am, I glare only slightly at the waiter kid who just looks terrified. "I told you, I was looking for the bathroom."

Luthor sucks in a breath and dismisses the kid, who stands up a little too straight and stiffly fast-walks his way back down the hall. I almost feel sorry for him.

Almost, because if he'd just fucking told me where the bathroom was, we wouldn't be in this situation.

When he's gone, Luthor places a hand on my shoulder, but I pull away so it falls off - vomiting equals no food which means I can't use my vibrations of doom which is probably a good thing here considering Superman told me to stay out of Metropolis - but no. Just because I came to his party and threw up in his wastebasket does not mean Luthor gets to touch me without my permission.

"Annie," he says, and he actually sounds human, like a normal, concerned human being. "The serum should be keeping you from getting sick. We've invested a lot of research into it, and this is very concerning. Now, we do have a sophisticated lab onsite. If you'd like, I can run some tests to find out why -"

"No," I interrupt him, walking away. "I'm fine."

I can't even think about beginning to unpack what he just said.

Because it has to just be standard nausea - nothing else.

I need to find Jason.

* * *

Jason's talking to a female reporter and some weirdo that - his nametag says Clark Kent, and then I'm almost smacking myself in the face because of fucking course. Of course I wouldn't recognize him. He looks different. Like they have the same face, but Superman puffed up his chest, Clark Kent is hunching and I would almost scold him about back issues except . . . it's Superman . . .

And whereas Superman looked self confident, Clark Kent looks a little self conscious.

They're like night and day and seeing Clark Kent now, I can kind of see how some people can walk right by and not see it.

I decide I like Clark more than the cape, but Jason looks just about done with both. I'd better save him. Besides, I'm still kind of freaking out about what Luthor said. As I wrap my arm around Jason's he looks down and seems to relax just a bit, but then he just continues talking to the woman - Lois and damn. I'm meeting tons of important people today, is that the theme of the day or something?

"Hey, Jason." I mutter, and I can just feel Clark's eyes on me - and great. Lois is staring too. "So what's the plan for the evening? Cause I'm just ready to go home. I'm tired."

"You going to be alright?"

"Yeah, I just -"

"Hi, I'm Lois, with the Daily Planet. Are you two -"

"This is my girlfriend."

And he's calling me his girlfriend now? Since when? Not that I mind, but -

"Right." Clark is staring at Jason instead of me now, which I'm grateful for, because I don't know if I can stop the redness in my face. I'm certain Martian Manhunter told them something.

"I need a drink -" I mutter and Jason seems to frown.

"I'll get you some water."

That's sweet. Yeah. Water sounds nice - to wash out this terrible taste in my mouth.

"Thanks. I appreciate it, but I can get the water -"

"No - it's my pleasure."

Jason is gone and back within a minute, as if he's afraid I'm going to disappear, which is frankly ridiculous.

Lois looks like she wants to say something, but she holds herself back and by the time Jason's back she hasn't said anything.

Clark Kent is glaring at me though. Which is terrifying.

I stick to him for the next two hours as all these rich people buy the paintings.

It's almost nice, knowing this money is going to charity. Almost, except this is Lex Luthor, and he's a super villain.

And then Caitlin finds us again telling us the charity auction is coming to a close and everyone is making their way to dinner.

Only, as I stare at her, I notice, she has to be drunk or drugged or something, because she's smiling - and she wasn't smiling before. Her stilettos from hell look unsteady and then I hear from the right the waiter - oh? He still has his job? Good for him.

"Caviar and crème fraîche tartlets, ladies? Or would you perhaps prefer the lobster toast with avocado and espelette pepper?"

And damn. Those look really good. And I'm hungry after all that throwing up I did earlier.

"Oh yes, please, thank you!" says Caitlin as she reaches over to grab a pair of tiny dishes. The server walks away, she turns and -

There's a sharp stab in my foot followed by a pair of shrieks. One of them is me, I realize, and the other one has to be Caitlin, who's falling on me. In the struggle against gravity I almost don't notice the other high-pitched sound that emanates through me like a shudder. The heartbeats I've been carrying with me seem to shudder and I have to stop myself from actually throwing Caitlin because I can't be seen hurting Lex Luthor's ward at Lex Luthor's fancy charity ball, even if everything in me is telling me she's dangerous to be around. My foot hurts, and I notice it's bleeding a little, blood smearing a bit on the floor - because of her stupid heels from hell. But otherwise I'm mostly not hurt. And she doesn't seem to be attacking me.

She scrambles to get up, her face red and a broken stiletto hanging off her right foot as she clings to a chair. She looks like she really didn't mean it. There's caviar and lobster on her dress.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Miss Simon! Are you okay? You and your - "

Why the fuck is she apologizing? I'm fine. She's physically fine. People trip over their own feet and step on toes all the time. But she looks like she's about to cry. Fuck, now I have to comfort her or something. I grit my teeth. "No, you're fine. You didn't mean to do it."

A normal person would have responded right away with… something. But Caitlin just hangs there off the side of the chair for a full minute with this expression of distant horror plastered to her face. Geez, what's her problem?

Did she... did she mean to do it?

I can't ask her that, though, because people are starting to stare.

"Hello? Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she says, and the expression slowly melts into something far more pathetic. "I'm sorry."

Damn it, she's way too sober now. I have to lighten this up somehow or else Luthor is going to blame me for breaking her.

"I'm sorry you have to wear those shoes."

Caitlin blinks, shrugging herself out of whatever that was. "It's not your fault."

"No - when I say I'm sorry it doesn't mean I think it's my fault, it means I commiserate with you."

And now she's laughing. Like legitimately laughing. And her smile, it's different. More relaxed and possibly sad. Nostalgic maybe? I don't know, this girl is weird. I'm mildly discomfited.

"Thanks," she says. "I'm… going to go get cleaned up now."

Jason's got a hold of my elbow, like he has most of the evening and he leans in close. "Are you okay?"

My foot is really starting to hurt and a good amount of blood is gushing from the wound.

"I'm fine. Just need to get my foot cleaned up. You think we can go back to the hotel? Before Luthor finds us like this?"

"Yeah, let me just get Dick and Tim. Kent, Lane, would you stay with her for a bit?"

He heads off and Superman - Clark Kent - lends me his arm so I can find a place to sit down. My foot is really starting to hurt. A lot. If the skin hadn't broken, I'd be looking at a very nasty bruise.

"You okay?"

"Yup, hunky dory Mister Superman." I mutter - and yup, he heard that. Damn. He flinches a bit, and interestingly enough, so does Lois. Does she know?

"Did Bruce tell you?"

And isn't that laughable? Because no, Bruce didn't tell me. That's information everyone knows.

"Don't take it personally. I figured it out with Bruce too and he wears a much better mask than you, especially considering you don't wear one at all."

Jason rushes back with Tim and Dick and before I know it, we're at the hotel and -

"Fuck - why are you putting stitches?"

Ugh - I should have stayed home.

"It's a deep wound, just sit still."

Yup, should have stayed home.

* * *

It's Monday and we're back in Gotham.

While I'd love to just stay in bed trying to convince Jason to go just a little further - despite my aching foot - I've been starving myself to control this! - he pushes me outside muttering about how I need to stop doing that or he won't stop next time and "then where will we be?"

Which just goes to prove this is a battle of wills and I'm starting to win. He can't resist me for much longer. This has to be as hard for him as it is for me.

But at least he gets up and makes breakfast. Jason loves bacon, and since he's been practically living here for the past two weeks, there's plenty. Usually I love the smell, even if I don't eat it, but today there's something off.

Maybe it's my foot which is still in pain - if I ever see Caitlin Jeffers again, I'm going to let her know she's on my shit list. Her and Tim. She's scarred me for life.

And this smell!

I run to the bathroom to not get any bile on the food and - when is this going to end?!

"That's it. You need a doctor." Jason doesn't look like he'll take my arguing, which is ridiculous.

"I don't need a doctor - it's probably just hormones and in a few days my period will -"

I stop, because... hormones? And when even was my last period? I haven't had to buy pads since -

Fuck.

I feel stupid, having not noticed before - having not even thought of the consequences! Now that I think back and try to remember the last time I had my period - it was April? I've always been regular, but I kept track on an app and have never thought much more about it. It's just easier that way. I only ever check when I start to get cramps and think, oh, it's been a while. I wonder. I haven't had cramps, so there's been no reminder to check.

And that would explain the consciousness - is it Annie-before-me? The one who died in the car accident? I can't be her mom, her mom was my mom! I can't be a mom at all! I can barely even protect myself, let alone a - !

"Annie?"

"I -"

Fuck, how am I even supposed to tell him? I don't even really know for sure - I mean granted I'm about two months late, and I'm never really late. This - how did I not see this sooner?!

"I - I think I'm . . ."

"You're pregnant?"

He doesn't even look fucking surprised.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Chapter 6 is already at over 2000 words, and I really should be working on my research paper, lol, and Chapter 7 (the epic interlude) is at 22,500 words - almost done). So expect my posting to continue to be semi-regular at least for now. Still no clarity on which option I'll go with, but I'll most likely still to Option 1 . . . a lot of the people who chose Option 2 seemed to do it becuase they were worried about how long it would take to post, since it's so long. It's practically done at this point, tbh...**

 **Chobits15 (loveangel15 on DeviantArt) did some fanart and it's fantastic! - It's called "Gotham Partners in Crime"**

 **It's absolutely fantastic!**

 **Thanks for reading! Until next time.**

 **-GlidingOne**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Jason takes me to a small little clinic not too far from Gotham General. It's a quaint-looking little practice with a white picket fence and green shutters and it apparently belongs to a "family friend" named Dr. Leslie Thompkins. She seems surprised and almost shocked to see Jason, but quickly becomes amused when he explains why we're there.

"Have you never heard of protection, Jason?"

I want to crawl into a hole and die - just to get away from this embarrassment, and when she's done examining me she looks smug.

"You do know I'm not an OBGYN, right Jason?"

"Yeah, but you were the only doctor I trust, so . . ."

"Yes, well, when was your last period, Ms. Simon?"

This is mortifying.

"The middle of April, I think. Not since graduation at the very least."

"Do you know when -"

"It was the night of the earthquake." Jason cuts in.

"Are you sure?"

"It was the only time." I respond.

So mortifying.

She presses some keys on her computer then turns back to us.

"I'd estimate you're at about thirteen weeks with a due date of January twentieth. You're just about getting into your second trimester, so you should see the nausea go away soon. If you'd like I can schedule you for an ultrasound so you can hear the heartbeat -"

No, no, that won't be necessary.

"- and check for abnormalities, but we won't be able to find out the sex of the baby for at least another five weeks."

Five weeks. That's like the middle of August. Thirteen weeks. I'm - that's - what?

"But it was ten weeks ago, not thirteen . . ."

Because what the hell? Thirteen weeks seems a lot bigger than ten - and does that mean - fuck.

I can't be pregnant. Maybe I can just absorb the heartbeat like I did with Falcone? No one would even know and - and no one would have to find out about the-before-Annie. Because I'm still not convinced she's gone. Has she just been lurking here? Is she the baby? I don't even -

"We don't calculate based on the date of conception since most people don't know for certain. We calculate based on the date of the last period. Which is why you're entering your second trimester already."

That - February? It's already the middle of July and -

"So she'll stop throwing up and fainting?"

Dr. Thompkins stares at Jason for a bit. "Has she been fainting a lot?"

Jason won't know why - so I figure I ought to explain. Except - I've never really chosen to tell anyone.

"I mean I suppose? It's only been like three or four times, though and I haven't fainted in at least a week."

"Well, it should go away, but if it doesn't we'll take a look at what's going on. It could be something more serious."

Fantastic.

"The good news is at this stage, the chance of miscarriage goes down substantially. So, in the meantime, I want you to take some of these vitamins here to make sure that -"

I tune her out as she makes out a prescription for something that doesn't really need a prescription, makes an appointment for the third week of August, and insists on taking a look at my foot. I can't handle this right now. I don't even - I just got a job at Wayne Enterprises. I just graduated. I just got that bug into Luthor's computer. And Luthor! I can't be a mom.

How am I supposed to -

I can't be a -

And what if everyone finds out about Annie - the real Annie. Is it a girl? What the fuck am I going to do?

Dr. Thompkins takes a look at the stitches. "Who did this?"

"Dick."

She stares and almost seems to frown before Jason cuts in and amends my statement.

"Dick just patched her up - it was some girl who couldn't balance right on her heels."

"They were heels from hell."

Dr. Thompkins snorts and pats my foot after it's been rewrapped. "He did a good job. It shouldn't even scar too much, but you really need to be careful from here on out."

* * *

I ditch Jason at the pharmacy as he gets my vitamins and I make my way to Gotham General's Hospice Ward. I need to see Mrs. Janet one more time. The machines aren't keeping her alive, just comfortable while she's sleeping, and I watch the lines on the heart monitor thing (I think it's an electrocardiogram, but I'm not too sure) crest in time with the weak beating of her own heart that I guess only I can really hear.

"Hey, Mrs. Janet."

No answer. Of course there's no answer. She's unconscious.

"So. You - you got what you wanted, I think."

Her face is pale.

"Sorry you won't get to meet her. Or him. I'm - I'm -"

What am I even doing here? I can't be a mom. My hand finds its way to my abdomen. It would be so easy - to just stop the heartbeat.

"All my life I've been trying to find my place in the world. I'm no hero. I'm barely nice to the people I actually like. And there are people out there like Luthor, and fucking Joker who put you in here in the first place and I - I can't do this."

Talking to no one is odd. Mrs. Janet can't even hear me.

"I found out I'm pregnant. So - you know, the grandkids you wanted."

I'm so tired. Of all of this - all this crap. I'm a complete and total fraud.

"You should have never gotten hurt, Mrs. Janet. I'm so sorry. Joker should never have found you, I shouldn't be running with - fuck you never even met him, right? His name's Jason - the father of this . . . kid. And he's an annoying little shit. Like, you wouldn't believe how obnoxious he can be. But, he's - he's a huge nerd. He could probably major in English and not break a sweat. And he's - he's literally my best friend - which is sad, considering . . ."

I miss talking to her.

"Mrs. Janet, I don't know what to do. I'd be a terrible mom and - and - I want my mom back."

A cough interrupts my talking and I turn around to see Jason there.

"Hey."

He has a bag from the pharmacy.

I brush the tears from my eyes and sniff, trying to collect myself a bit. "Hey, sorry I . . . disappeared. Again."

"S'okay. I'm getting used to you going off on your own."

He walks forward, sitting next to me and leaning back on the chair.

How did I miss it? It must have been so obvious. Who else even knows?

"Does Bruce know?"

"Yeah, Martian Manhunter told him his suspicions."

Right - Annie. I'm such a fraud.

"And does everyone know or is it -"

"I'm honestly surprised you didn't realize. I thought you were being deliberately obtuse."

Right. Because it was so fucking obvious. Luthor probably even -

Luthor knew I shouldn't be sick. He said so at the Convention and recommended some of his labs and -

"Fuck."

"What?"

Jason's frowning and staring at me, even as I slowly register that Mrs. Janet's electrocardiogram, echoing the one I hear in my head, slowing down.

"Luthor saw me throwing up."

"What?"

"Yeah, it was right before that whole mess with my foot and - my blood was all over the floor."

Jason clicks his tongue and curses.

"Damn."

Luthor might know. He might have gotten my blood - would he use it to clone me? And how would that even work - and -

"Breathe, Annie."

Jason's hands are on my shoulders and he's staring into my eyes. "It's going to be okay."

But even as he says it, I can feel the tremors begin to shake the earth and -

No. This is probably not safe. I need to stop. Damn. I'd just started to make headway in my campaign against Luthor.

And even as I stare into Jason's eyes, trying to calm down, I hear Mrs. Janet's heart beat once and then stop. When I look over at the monitor it shows she's flatlined.

And she's gone.

I'm fucking crying again - because of course I am, and Jason's hugging me and - this is all bullshit.

All of it. How am I supposed to take care of a baby? I can barely take care of myself.

"You're going to be a great mom."

"No I'm not - just by existing, I'm putting this kid in Luthor's sights."

"Never figured you were one to let a billionaire walk all over you."

"I'm not." And how dare he?

"Then don't let him. You're going to do great."

And I can't even . . . this kid would be better off dead. Like Mrs. Janet.

* * *

I spend the rest of the week being good whenever Jason nags me about the prenatal vitamins. Not because I care about staying healthy for the kid but because he seems so excited. Jason is so goddamn excited about this. He's talking about how this kid - he's insisting it's going to be a girl, and what if it is - what if it's Annie - is going to be perfect and how he's going to make sure nothing happens to her. Not like with him. Not like with me. He's going to protect her.

And I just feel so guilty. Who's going to protect it from me?

We develop a bit of a routine with me going to work and coming home to Jason who's already made a crap ton of food - heavens know I need more of it now than ever - before he heads out to "take care of business."

I'm pretty "taking care of business" means he's out being Red Hood, but it's probably better that way.

He's gone for the fourth time this week that I log on to my computer and try to access LexCorp remotely.

And with a quick mark next to Tim's name on my shitlist (he's getting there in the redemption department, but he's still not off the hook for the papers I had to rewrite) I'm in.

I have to hand it to Luthor, he really has got his fingers in all sorts of pies. And there's so much data for me to sort through. There's his project, which looks interesting, and with my work at Wayne Enterprises I could probably make Luthor's life difficult. Or this one - and then I find it.

It's labeled "JL Enemy SBM Experiments." Which isn't ominous at all. Before I dig right into the file and possibly trigger some alerts, but who the fuck cares, I grab Jason's computer (his work one he keeps connected to his lair) and try to find out who JL Enemy SBM is - because JL obviously means "Justice League." It's like Luthor's not even trying to be subtle.

I don't figure it out that night - because of course the Justice League doesn't use a number system for their enemies. And I don't figure out who Enemy SBM is that night, because Jason comes home. But I do find out about a lot of the Justice League's enemies - Jason's computer is linked to the bat cave and Batman has a lot of information on their enemies.

It's the second week of August - Dr. Thomkins set up an appointment for the end of the week - when I finally find out about "the fifth dimension," Bat-Mite (and isn't that adorable?), and Mister Mxyzptlk (which I won't even attempt to pronounce - that name needs to borrow a vowel more desperately than Thor's mjolnir). And if I squint and tilt my head a little I can see how it could fit into SBM, which just leaves S. I don't find anyone who could be S, so I go back to reading about the fifth dimension - maybe the S is for something else.

Apparently the fifth dimension has different laws of physics, which is just confusing. But what catches my eye is about how Mister Mxyzptlk once opened a portal to the sixth dimension, which nearly killed him (I guess the only thing that can actually kill him is vowels), but he survived and there was even a little bit of tissue left over from his little excursion.

That night I pull an all-nighter - work is dreadful the next day but it's worth it - to search "fifth dimension" in LexCorp's mainframe and I discover how Lex Luthor was once kidnapped by Brainiac and managed to escape with his life and Brainiac's DNA. This DNA was engineered with the DNA from the fifth and sixth dimensions and packaged into something labelled "Serum."

The informational file on Serum has most of this information along with a ton of chemistry technobabble, so I click into the next folder, which is full of files, each labeled with a number and a name. I click on the first and start reading.

The next fifteen files all tell the same story. They're not super interesting, but I find them incredibly sad. These are people. They had lives. They had people they loved and jobs and ambitions and dreams, and then they were taken away by Luthor and injected with this serum. Each has a detailed physiological report that I don't bother to read. Some of them were cloned. All of them died, even the clones. Not even special life-saving technology or magic could bring any of them back.

The more I read the more I want to break something. There is no JL Enemy SBM. Lex Luthor was trying to create it.

On the file window, I find the last column, labeled "Status." Each one on this screen says "failed." I scroll down. Failed failed failed. Failed failed failed failed failed.

Success.

In a sea of failure I find the one instance of success. I scroll left again, and it's me.

My report is dated two years after the one before it. When I click to open it, I find out why. And it's really simple: all the experiments and alterations of the serum had, to that point, killed the subjects without exception. The entire experiment was declared a failure and all future attempts were abandoned.

My file is different. The initial physiology section is much shorter, and the "preliminary" notes actually date after I woke up.

In short, Luthor used the serum to get rid of a "problem" and ended up creating the first "success." Me. I'm JL Enemy SBM.

Of course, since I wasn't an intended test subject - because I was supposed to die, obviously - they didn't have all the preliminary data compared to the actually intended subjects, and so they paid the hospital to have my records and extra blood and tissue samples sent over.

They wanted to study me.

There are notes on everything. There are notes about me and my grades - saying I'm smart and maybe I got something from Brainiac. There are notes about how unhelpful I've been. My threat to make Luthor's life hell if he attempted to adopt me after Mary Simon's death was particularly noted.

The next note makes me grit my teeth. Because now it's talking about powers, and how on Infinite Earths would they know I have powers? There's been absolutely no mention of it until this entry.

Going back to the file window and sorting it by "status" gives me my answer. There are, as it turns out, two successes, and the second one is Caitlin Jeffers. Of course it's Caitlin Jeffers. Her file dates back to when I was sixteen, just after I'd told Luthor to fuck off - which, fuck, means I caused this - and is bigger than mine, which makes sense because she lives with him and probably gives him all the precious data he could ever want. It's got an extra layer of encryption which somehow survived my Trojan horse's decryption algorithms, so I'll have to do extra work if I want to read it. I decide it's not worth it, not right this second.

When I go back to chronological view, I notice she, too, is the one success in a sea of failures. And what's sad is that the file name under hers, dated for the same day, is Stephanie Jeffers. A failure. That means I killed her sister too, I guess. Fuck. Her file is also encrypted, so I go back to mine.

The reports are pretty scattered after my mom's death. There's of course my "fuck off, Luthor" note and some notes about failed communications attempts and one about how I'd cashed the last six cheques that Luthor had sent and a few about my grades in university - because fuck FERPA, I guess - and for some reason there's one dated the night of the earthquake that speculates on my powers some more.

And then. Then.

The next major entry is dated July 10th. The day after the Charity Ball.

It just confirms that they know. Luthor knows.

They know I'm pregnant. A blood test - that fucking Caitlin, I'm going to kill her - proved it, along with a detailed analysis of my vomit and cross-studies that show that nothing I ate could've possibly caused food poisoning. There are speculations about the kid -

I'm going to break this laptop if I read any more. I put it down and all I want to do is run away and scream my rage and destroy everything about Luthor right now.

When Jason comes storming into the apartment grumbling about how Bruce keeps picking up replacements and how "that demon brat is a little shit," I can't bring myself to bother him with this. I can't even let myself fall into his arms and cry like I want to - fucking pregnancy hormones - because he's got his own set of problems and I can't burden him with mine.

Because Lex Luthor is my problem.

If this kid is Annie - and even if it's not - I can't let Luthor get his hands on her - him - it. He doesn't need to be the kid's problem too. I can't let Luthor ruin anyone else's life. Especially not this kid - not Jason's kid.

I've never thought about stopping this pregnancy more than I do now. Not because I hate babies, but because I can't stand the thought of Luthor taking it away and doing who knows what horrible things to it. Of using it to get to me and. . . and hurting it in the process.

But then I look at Jason and how talking about our kid lights up his whole face, and there's no way I can do it.

That serum needs to be destroyed. Everything to do with that serum needs to be destroyed and Luthor needs to leave me the fuck alone because I am not about to bring the Justice League's attention on me anymore than necessary.

* * *

I wake up the next day to find Jason staring at his phone.

"What is it?"

"Bruce wants us over."

Oh. "Why?"

"He wants to introduce you to his little brat. And he probably wants to do something for my birthday." He's rolling his eyes and I'm not certain how serious he is about this.

"Wait what?"

"I'm turning twenty-two tomorrow."

"No - not that. I know - What do you mean 'his brat?'" I started saying one thing and ended up saying something else. I know his birthday is in August - Emma and Sarah never let me forget. I'm just not too eager to let him know that.

"Weren't you listening yesterday?" he sighs and turns over.

And therein lies the crux of the problem.

When he came home yesterday and started ranting, I didn't really pay attention. I was still trying to process the information I'd found out from LexCorp.

"I mean, I got that you were upset, but I didn't really understand what you were talking about."

"Bruce has a kid."

"He adopted someone else?"

"No. I mean he has a biological kid with Talia Al Ghul."

"Al Ghul as in the League of Assassins?"

Jason sighs, rubbing his face and looking tired and just done as he turns back to face me. "Yeah. You know I stayed with them for a while?"

"Yeah. You knew them, and the kid?"

Jason snorts.

"Yeah, this is going to be fucking awkward."

"Why would it -" I stop because there's really only one reason something like this would be awkward. "You slept with his mother?"

Jason refuses to look me in the eye. And I swear I'm not jealous. Why should I care?

"I definitely want to meet this kid then." I try to get up only for Jason to pull me right back down and I find myself staring up as Jason leans over me.

"You can't tell anyone."

"Oh? Can't even hint at -"

Jason starts to attack my neck and I almost forget what we were just talking about.

Almost, because Jason does end up pulling away and I'm reminded that he doesn't want to touch me - not really.

"Please don't tell anyone."

"Fine."

I won't tell anyone, but only because I don't want Jason to die - again. If this kid was raised by assassins, I'm quite certain it's capable of killing Jason and a well placed joke about his mother (who also happens to be an assassin) also probably would not go over well.

* * *

This time Jason doesn't take us to the batcave. Instead, like all those years ago on that one Halloween where I dressed up like Batgirl, we end up at the front door of Wayne Manor.

Jason seems to have forgotten all about that though.

"So I know this is the first time you've actually seen it from here -"

"I've been at this door before," I interrupt what Jason is saying right when he hits the doorbell.

"What?"

But before I can answer, Alfred is opening the door.

"Ah, Master Jason. Ms. Simon. Pleased to see you."

"Great to see you too, Alfred. You got any cookies?"

"Of course, Master Jason. Would you like tea to go with that? I can have it brought to the library. Master Richard and Master Tim are there right now, if you wanted to see them."

"And the little demon brat?"

"He should be coming along shortly. Dinner will be served at seven, so try not to eat too many biscuits."

Jason snorts but drags me off.

The last time I was here, I was so eager to leave, I hadn't paid too much attention. But Wayne Manor is really nice. It's big, don't get me wrong, and beautiful, no one could ever deny that fact.

But to me, that's not what I think makes a place nice.

It's the lived-in feel. And somehow, despite the grandeur and the timelessness the whole place radiates, it does feel lived in. It's clean and organized, but the book on the table by the couch in the library has a bookmark tucked in, and coasters are set out with mugs of what smells like coffee.

It's . . . nice.

"Hey, Annie."

"Annie! How are you feeling?"

Dick's the one that asks the question, and I try not to roll my eyes at them.

"I'm fine."

"The foot okay, then?"

I roll my eyes and sit down, making a grab for the coffee. Only to have it pulled out of my reach.

"You already had your coffee today."

And no. Now Jason's between me and my coffee and I don't care if he's the father of this kid - I will murder him.

"Give me my fucking coffee."

Dick snickers and Tim looks alarmed, but Jason doesn't even seem perturbed as he downs the cup until it's empty.

"Why can't she have any more coffee?"

Yes. Thank you! Tim might actually redeem himself and get off the shitlist soon.

"Leslie told me she shouldn't have more than a cup of coffee a day."

Tim definitely looks horrified at that, and I'm definitely not okay with this.

"I've had coffee every day since I was five. Give me my damn coffee!"

Oh. Wait. Five in the other life. Not this one. Damn. Now they're all looking at me as if I'm insane. Mrs. Simon wouldn't have let her kid -

"Well, that explains why you were always unnaturally chipper."

Wait, what? Is he - is he talking about the other Annie? Right. . . he knew her . . . this is so fucked up.

"Who the hell are you?"

I hadn't heard the footsteps, because I guess the ninja baby lived up to the name. Even if the baby ninja is practically my height. I'm not intimidated. I'm not intimidated at all.

"Hey, brat."

"Grayson. Drake. Todd. Slut."

What the fuck. This - I'm going to murder him. He doesn't even know me! And he should talk! He -

"Not as much as your mom, apparently."

Oh fuck. I said that out loud, didn't I? Crap. Fuck. The kid looks like he's about to gut me and -

"Ahhhhh!" The kid lets out some sort of battle cry and is that a knife in his hands?

"Woah, there. No stabbing the guests." Dick somehow catches the little demon and hauls him over his shoulder. "Let's get you to the dining room before you insult anyone else."

"Let me at her! How dare you even insinuate - I'll kill you!"

I try not to shudder as the kid glares at me, and definitely don't flinch when Tim clamps a hand on my shoulder.

"Get your hands off her."

"Maybe you shouldn't have antagonized him, Annie."

"Don't fucking ignore me, replacement!"

"He started it!" I say, pointing at the squirming angry gremlin on Dickiebird's shoulders.

"Maybe, but like - we just got him a few days ago and he's still learning basic manners. What you said isn't really helping."

"Damn you all to hell. See if I bring you back here."

Jason's muttering as he walks away - somehow with his hand clasped around my wrist and dragging me along.

We get to the dining room without anyone dying and there are three more people already seated, or helping Alfred with plates.

"Babs, Cassie, Steph, this is Annie."

A girl I vaguely recognize from school that one time Tim interrupted us smiles widely and waves.

"Hey! I remember you! So you know our resident gangster, huh?"

"I mean -" is she talking about Falcone? Or Black Mask? "I suppose?"

"How'd you meet him?"

I'm not quite certain how to answer that, so I just stare at her blankly.

"Come on, Steph. That's a little rude, don't you think -"

"Dick, why is Damian tied to his chair?"

I turn to see Bruce fucking Wayne at the door staring at - oh Lord this is fucking hilarious.

Not only is the brat tied to the chair, but he has a rag stuffed in his mouth. I hadn't noticed until just now.

"He was threatening Annie with a knife."

I could have taken him. I'm pregnant, not helpless.

Everyone stares at me - even the brat stops struggling, and - Fuck. I said that out loud, didn't I?

"Ummm. Congratulations?"

The brat huffs, slumping in his seat and no longer struggling against the ropes or rag.

"You hear that, Damian? No stabbing the pregnant woman. That's going to be your niece or nephew."

Bruce sighs, Alfred smiles widely, the other women at the table look apologetic and -

"Wait - is that why Jason said you can't have more coffee?"

"Jason's a killjoy. That's why he won't let me have more coffee."

"You're lucky I let you have any at all, the way you were throwing it all up last month."

Tim nods along in sympathy, not even sparing Jason's words a moment.

"Yeah, I totally get that. Jason can be very unreasonable."

"I'll fucking kill you, replacement."

At this point, Alfred's removed the gag from the brat, and everyone else has somehow made it into their seats.

"Why does he get to throw around threats?"

"Because I'm older than you, brat."

"What does that have to do with anything, peasant!"

Huh. The kid vaguely reminds me of Loki, with that superiority complex.

"So, Ms. Simon, when can we welcome the happy bundle?" Alfred's pouring water in the wine glass. I'm not insulted. Maybe a little. I still take a sip with a sigh.

"Apparently she's at like seventeen weeks and due sometime in mid to late January."

Yeah, sure. Let everyone know. What the hell, Jason.

Dick sighs. "First Bruce, now Jason. After all Bruce's lectures about using protection -"

I choke on the water I'm sipping and begin coughing. I can't - I can't breathe.

"Are you okay?"

No - that - that's hilarious!

"Seriously - is she going to be alright?"

"Dinner is served."

I manage to get my breathing and coughing under control after a few moments, and somehow survive the dinner despite the snide comments being thrown my way by the child in the monkey seat.

* * *

The drive back to the apartment is quiet, as I mull over the encounter with the child assassin and his eyes that were practically daggers as we left.

And my slip up. I can't believe I mentioned I'd had coffee since I was five. Jason knows I had amnesia after the accident. Everyone in school knew. And -

"Sorry dinner was a mess."

"Sure you are."

The climb up the stairs is annoying as usual, but I'd forced myself to keep going quickly because I can tell Jason wants to ask me about the "coffee since I was five."

"No really."

"You drank my coffee. I see how fucking sorry you are."

I couldn't keep my mouth shut, could I?

"Coffee's not good for you right now. At least not in the quantities you drink it in."

I can't even - I unlock the door to my apartment and try to close the door in his face. It doesn't work. He steps in regardless.

"Coffee is life." And I'm going to drink some if it's the last thing I do. Before I die. Before he figures everything out. Because he will. Jason's not stupid.

As I'm reaching into the cupboard to grab the coffee - he leans over me and pulls it out of my reach.

"Hey! What are you -"

"Look, can't you just believe I'm just trying to look out for you?"

"Why?" Just give me the damn coffee.

"Because I l-"

No. No, he can't. "How can you - you don't even really know who I am!"

He doesn't look impressed. "Who are you, then?"

I can't tell him and I need to tell him and fuck. This is all so messed up.

"From where I'm standing, you're Annie Simon, right? I've known you since you were five. Yeah, there's a whole lot I don't know, but there's lots you still don't know about me, too. The whole thing with Luthor is weird, I'll admit it but -"

Everything about Luthor and me - it explains everything and he doesn't even know the half of it!

"The Annie you knew - I - I'm not - I'm a fraud. I'm not Annie."

He stares at me for a solid minute and I don't think he really understands what I'm talking about. "Just because you don't remember anything from before you were nine -"

"I'm not Annie. I do remember. That's the problem. I just don't remember Annie."

The coffee he's been holding out of my reach before comes down and I make a grab for it.

"You mentioned you've had coffee every day since you were five, earlier."

He didn't even try to stop me from taking it, and I turn around pulling the machine toward me.

"Yes, but that . . . that wasn't Annie. I wasn't Annie back then. I was . . . someone else. Someone whose name wasn't Annie. Fuck I can't even remember her name. I don't know who Annie Simon was at all before she died that night - the night the car crashed into Luthor's. She wasn't even . . . Annie's just . . . Annie was a nine-year-old girl and she died that night - the night the car crashed into Luthor's. And I took her place. Because I died too."

Jason's stepped back, and I can't help thinking that's good. Now he knows and - fuck. I'm crying again.

I abandon the coffee to go to my laptop.

"This is what Luthor was trying to do." I show him all the failures and - "He was trying to kill Annie Simon for good. All the other subjects were failures. Except for me."

He spends a good ten minutes going over the files, and I lie down on the couch trying to not look at him. Until finally, he pulls away from the laptop.

"All this stuff Luthor did to you - it doesn't change who you are."

Once again he is missing the point. "You don't know that. You don't know who I am."

"Who do you think I think you are?"

I try not to sigh too exasperatedly. "You think I'm Annie - the girl who had a crush on you in elementary school."

His lips quirk up in the corners a bit and then he asks me another fucking question.

"Are you the Annie from fifth grade - or sixth - or seventh, whatever - who gave me lunch money?"

What is he getting at?

"What does that have to do with -"

"That's - Are you the Annie I helped with English papers and who makes amazing pie and -?"

"What does this have to do with anything?"

"If you are that Annie - you're my Annie and I don't care what -"

"I'm a fraud!" Because he can't be saying that! "You think it was just by chance that I figured out Bruce Wayne is Batman? That you were robin? I mean not that you yourself would be robin, I only figured it out after you died because I didn't pay attention when you got adopted, and I wasn't that big a fan of the Batman comics but -"

"That's normal, a lot of other people in other dimensions are known to have a telepathic connection to another world and they make stories of it - it's not unheard of - so it was a- "

"You don't understand! It wasn't just - there were two publishing companies - Marvel and DC and I read Marvel comics. Because I liked the movies - I grew up on the movies. They started when I was five. So I read the comics. I thought it was fake! Gotham never existed in my world! It was just a story. And I was a fan of - of the competition. I knew practically nothing coming into this world."

"So you're like the rest of us then, congratulations."

Ugh! He doesn't fucking get it!

"No I'm not like the rest of you. Because I know enough to get myself into trouble. And I'm not Annie. I've never really been Annie."

"You want me to call you something else, then?"

Oh fuck this. I get up and stomp over to the kitchen to get a mug, because the coffee's ready, and in my frustration it shatters into a million pieces.

"Fuck! No! That's not the point! The point is I'm - I'm not so certain Annie's as dead as I thought she was? What if this baby is - is Annie and -"

"If it is, then we'll deal with that, but you're my Annie. You don't get to decide you're not my Annie on your own - it's you that doesn't understand."

"What don't I understand, Jason? I'm a fraud! I've always been a fraud. And I've been lying - you know I told my mom - Mary Simon who I was and she didn't care that her daughter died. She didn't care that -" my voice cracks as fucking tears spill down my cheeks. "She told me she thought that I'm just another part of her Annie."

"Maybe she's right."

"Well. I don't fucking know if she is because now I have this other - Martian Manhunter said there was another consciousness. How can a fetus have another consciousness like that? That's not normal!"

"Annie, normal's overrated. You know all the thoughts I've ever had of -" he pauses, as if he almost doesn't want to admit it. "All the times I've thought of fucking you - they were all after you were you. Not the other Annie - I didn't even really like her. If she really is another person."

Wait what?

"Excuse me?"

"She was - I thought you were a spoiled brat. I mean, you were better than a lot of the girls at Gotham Academy, but -"

"What are you -"

He looks frustrated. As if he didn't really mean to say that.

"Look, Annie, that's not the point. The point is - I don't want the other Annie. I don't know the other Annie. The other Annie - if she died at nine years old - I don't know her. I know you. And so it doesn't matter to me if you're a fraud or if you're the 'real Annie' as you say. You're real to me."

"But - you can't."

"Annie, I'm trying to tell you I love you."

Blood is dripping from my hand from the shattered mug and -

What? What does he mean? How can he mean that?

A/N: I've been sick and when I wasn't sick I was working overtime, so thank Snickie for coming over and kicking my ass to finish this chapter. Chapter 7 is practically done and should be out next week.


	7. Chapter 7 - Jason Todd's Interlude

Chapter Seven - Jason Todd's Interlude

Jason Todd's life is not easy. It's hard. It's hard in the beginning, the middle, and the end. And after the end too. And most times, it feels like there is nothing he can do about it.

There are some nice things in his life, though. There's his mother - Catherine Todd. Although she's high on drugs most of the time. There's school, English is his favorite subject and he's a sucker for Shakespeare. And there's the food he sometimes gets to eat at home.

Still, most things in life suck.

The first time he meets Annie Simon, he thinks she's a stupid little girl who has everything a kid could ever want in life. She has a loving mother and father that always drop her off at school and never has a day where she doesn't have lunch. She has the nicest school supplies, clean and new, her brown hair is always carefully up in pigtails and her clothes are clean and perfectly pressed. And she always has a smile on her face. And he hates her. He really hates her.

He hates how happy she is and how easy everything is for her, except for maybe homework, because she's mediocre at that at best.

On the first day of kindergarten, she has a long line of multicolored pens on her desk when the teacher calls out, "Pencils only, please. We're taking a quick quiz."

Jason eyes her pens as everyone clears their desks and he takes out two pencils. Because she may have fancy pens, but he has two pencils, which is more than _she_ has. She's staring at her desk.

"Annie Simon?" the teacher asks and then he sees her glance up.

"Yes, Mrs. Walker?"

"I said pencils only."

Annie nods, but makes no move to get anything out of her bag. Everyone's whispering now, and Jason finds himself glancing around. He's not the only one who dislikes her, it seems, if he's hearing the others right. Which he is.

"If you don't have a pencil, Annie, I won't grade your work. This was on the list of supplies. It was the number one item. Where are your pencils?"

She mutters something Jason can only barely understand - but he thinks she says they're at home.

"I thought the pens were prettier."

"Well, ask one of your classmates if they'll let you borrow one of their pencils."

She asks the girls next to her, who sneer, and she looks so pathetic, when all the people in her immediate vicinity tell her no - they only have one.

And then she asks him and he just hands one of his to her - grimacing and insisting she give it back at the end of the day. He couldn't say he didn't have another because it was there on his desk. And then he'd look unnecessarily like a jerk. But, what did she expect? Special treatment?

He pushes down the jealousy at the thought of multicolored pens.

He hears she could have gone to Gotham Academy - School for the Privileged, but ended up in his school because her father thought it would be "good for her."

And he doesn't bother keeping the anger off his face when he discovers at the end of the day his pencil is broken. But she looks like she's about to cry, so he doesn't do anything except roll his eyes and hunch his shoulders. It was his only other pencil.

She comes back to school the next day with ten pencils and hands him five.

"Sorry for breaking your pencil," she says, and he notices the quality of these pencils are better - they're stronger and they write and erase better.

He decides he hates her then.

He doesn't stop hating her through Kindergarten, when she's tripped as she walks to the front of the class with everyone's homework, though he does help her get up and gather up the flying sheets of paper - because his homework is there and he wants a good grade damnit. He doesn't stop hating her in first grade in Mrs. Richard's class when he sees the boys from his apartment building filling her desk with sludge and bugs. He hates her a little more when her smile doesn't _really_ fade away when she opens her desk and finds her homework ruined. Mrs. Richard lets her redo it, even if she's scolding Annie for the mess she 'made.' Because of course the idiot doesn't tell on the boys.

He doesn't stop hating her when, in second grade, Mrs. Morales' class, her brand new blue hair ribbons are pulled from her head and ripped to shreds by the class bully who then proceeds to stick gum into her long hair - right in between her two pigtails, practically on her scalp. She comes to school the next day with very short hair because she's too stupid to know about peanut butter.

But then, in third grade, he sees the same guys that had been bothering her for years pushing her around in the playground - pulling her hair which by that point is down to her shoulders again, aiming kicks at her as she lies on the ground, curled up into a ball.

And yes, he hates her then too, but that doesn't mean she deserves to get beat up. It reminds him too much of the thugs and police officers from his neighborhood and the drug dealer hitting his mom demanding his pay.

It reminds Jason of his dad beating him up because he made too much noise coming in and doesn't have enough money for his poker game - pickpocketing has been hard recently.

So he walks up to those bullies and shouts, "Hey! Leave her alone!"

"Yeah Todd? What are _you_ going to do about it?"

And he glares - doesn't even look at her, cause he still hates her - as he takes on the three boys - fists flying and elbows meeting faces. He ends up with a black eye, but it gets the teachers to come over and put a stop to the fight.

"Boys! Stop! What do you think you're doing?!"

It gives Annie Simon a way out.

He still doesn't like her after that, mostly because he gets suspended for a week - "This behavior will not be tolerated in this school, young man." - and he ends up having to stay at home with his dad for a week, even as, when he comes back, he notices her staring at him, and blushing, and whispering with her friends.

She even gives him a Christmas present the next year (he doesn't throw it away, because it's a _book_ , and how does she know he likes Shakespeare?).

And then shortly after he gets the present, halfway through the fourth grade, she stops coming to school. The class finds out later that week that she's had an accident and is in a coma. Her dad "didn't make it."

"She won't be coming back to class anytime soon, but we have a card we're sending along. Everyone write in it."

Mrs. Williams, their teacher, doesn't like Annie, Jason knows, and she also knows Annie has a grand total of two friends in this class. But they all write something down. His message is short, and he doesn't even sign his name.

He tries not to think too much about her or feel guilty. He has his own problems to worry about after all. He stops completely hating her, though, because maybe she doesn't have so perfect a life after all. And because she's practically dead, anyway - what good is it hating a dead girl?

* * *

It's shortly after the Winter Holidays the next year - his father's been arrested again for drug possession and involvement in one of Two-face's hair-brained plans, and it was a meager holiday celebration with his mom - when she comes back. It's being hailed as some kind of Christmas miracle and it's all anyone can talk about at school for a whole week and then there she is.

And she's not smiling.

Jason doesn't know how to feel about her not smiling. It always used to annoy him, but now . . . It looks wrong, to see her face so blank and almost dead. She goes back to class looking like she doesn't recognize anyone, and Mrs. Ramirez sits her down next to her friends - he almost thinks it's a terrible idea, because sitting with friends means gossipping and not paying attention in class, but she doesn't say anything to them and behaves like a model student. She doesn't say anything at all, actually.

Her supplies - while definitely good quality - are all sensible. And somehow she's keeping up with them all, which is weird because she's missed so much school and she used to be so _average_.

At lunch, she still doesn't smile. He finds out she can't remember anything, from the conversation her friends Emma and Sarah are making, but he supposes it makes a little sense, why she's acting so different.

She doesn't know any of them.

And that - that's terrible. Because her family used to be so perfect, and now she can't even remember it?

He knows when she starts leaving five dollar bills in his backpack that it's her. He just can't figure out why or how. He always finds the money right after recess, and he begins to actually get to eat a bite to eat at lunch. It also makes it easier to put money away for when his mom or dad needs it.

But it bothers him that he can never catch her doing it and that he doesn't understand her motives - after all, she's not supposed to remember anything. What's different now? And while a large part of him is angry that he's receiving charity, the other part of him can't bring it in him to throw the bill away. Not when his stomach grumbles and his mom begs for more release from this prison she considers life.

So he takes the money and sometimes uses it for food while also sometimes using it to get the drugs his mom so desperately needs from the corner drug dealer.

He gets the birthday invitation to her party that March, but between trying to scrape up enough money to keep his mom present, the electricity going for the heater, and food in his stomach he doesn't have the time or money to go to her stupid party.

What could he even give her? He's not showing up empty handed and he doesn't have anything to spare (he's not giving up his Shakespeare). He feels bad about it though, taking her money and not giving her anything back for her birthday.

He continues to struggle through - Summer is the worst - and he's relieved to go back to school in the Fall. After two months of relying on Annie's lunch money, and three months of trying on his own, Jason definitely prefers the former.

So when sometime in seventh grade, after his dad's been put in prison _again_ , the 'lunch money' stops being left everyday, Jason is left confused. What did he do wrong? Is she trying to get even more attention from him? Curiosity, and not a small amount of anger, gets the better of him by Christmas.

He hangs back, watching the other kids rushing through the hall - she's straggling behind. And it gives him the perfect opportunity to drag her into the Janitor's closet.

He watches her face scrunched up in confusion and she looks like she's disgusted - with him? - well he doesn't like her either -

And then she says it smells, and he's left feeling off-center, because _what_? He shakes his head, because that's not why he's here. He's not here for her to make faces at him or - ugh.

"What's your deal?"

She doesn't answer. Instead she asks her own question. "Why am I in a broom closet?"

Which, if she won't answer his question, that's fine. He won't answer hers.

"I know it's been you. You've been the one leaving your lunch money in my bag and under my chair. Why? Is it because you like me or something?"

He _knows_ she liked him - before the coma. He _knows_ he's one of the better looking kids in school. But if she thinks -

She snorts. And tries to leave.

So he grabs her arm - only for her to freeze and - and her stomach growls. And it dawns on him - she's not eating so he can eat, and why? Why the fuck would she -

"Why are you doing it? Why would you give up your lunch for me?"

She almost looks trapped when she looks at him - straight in the eyes - and his breath catches in his throat, because he's never actually seen what her eyes look like and they remind him of honey and cinnamon and -

"Look, you're an obnoxious person and you don't like people."

Yeah, well she's not a ray of sunshine either. He's _not_ scowling.

"And I get that, people can be annoying, I don't pity you or like you or anything. We're just . . . We're kids. And kids should have balanced meals. Kids shouldn't go home hungry. And it sucks that you do - don't even deny it, I've seen you not eating - and if there's something I can do . . . Even if you _are_ obnoxious and rude..."

He can't believe it. After all the bullying and the hurt and the fucking _coma_ \- she - she's a fucking idealist. He tells her. And he warns her, because - because yeah, he hated her, and he still doesn't like her all that much, but she still - she still wants to help people. And that's dangerous in this town.

"Gotham eats people like you alive."

But his words don't seem to have much impact except make her shoulders square up.

"Gotham's going to have to try really hard, then."

Her answer, he decides, is not what he expects. She has a backbone. And as she leaves, he finds he definitely doesn't dislike her anymore.

* * *

Jason stays away from her after that, but he watches her. He notices her on the news in February. She runs out of a bank that is surrounded by cop cars and - miraculously no one is hurt.

The year passes and before he knows it, it's summer and it's harder than ever to keep his mom stocked up on her drugs. He does it because he just wants her to not be in pain. He does it because maybe she'll stay with him if he does.

He ends up in Juvie for a week before the case is dropped.

And then one day he gives his mom too much, he thinks. And she dies. And it's his fault.

Jason refuses to be sent to the Foster Care system, so he runs before his mom's body can even cool. He stays on the streets that summer, struggling to survive.

He only makes it by the skin of his teeth and by learning to jack cars.

At thirteen, almost fourteen years old, living on the streets is harder than he expects. Food is hard as hell to find, and even harder to buy, since he's out of cash, and Jason swears he's getting thinner and thinner by the day - with his ribs becoming more and more defined, he honestly can't wait for school to start, for Annie to continue leaving her lunch money when she can. He takes up smoking cigarette butts people toss out because it's stressful and smoking helps him destress. It's a bad idea because it just becomes harder to use the cash he _does_ find for food, since most of the time he wants cigarettes, and cigarettes help with the gnawing hunger in his stomach.

And then he finds it.

The goldmine that is the batmobile is his for the taking - because who leaves a nice car like that in Crime Alley? The Bat is practically asking for the wheels to be taken.

And he doesn't care if Batman beats the shit out of him, because on the off chance that he doesn't it'll be worth it. Jason will have enough money to last him until school starts up again. Until Annie can help him - as pathetic as that sounds.

He doesn't expect the Batman to give him food and then proceed to take him to his home and -

Jason doesn't expect the Batman to turn out to be Gotham's resident playboy billionaire Bruce Wayne.

Jason doesn't expect to not be able to say goodbye.

* * *

Gotham Academy is stupid.

He just wants to get out there and beat up the bad guys, but the old man refuses to let him go out in costume until he's "fully trained." And in the meantime, Jason's expected to keep up appearances.

He doesn't need this school with their stuck up brats and kids with trust funds. He doesn't need it because he's learning ten times as much from the tutor who teaches him foreign languages and from Alfred who discusses Shakespeare.

And the girls are the worst. They're stuck up and entitled, and yeah, he kisses them because he's curious and they're willing and _there_ , but they just use it as a way to brag to their friends - they made out with "Bruce Wayne's adopted son." And it's frustrating.

 _Because they're not Annie. Annie wouldn't brag about kissing him in corners of school._ He tries not to let the thought take root but it does. And she's still living near the bad parts of Gotham - Maybe _that's_ why he despises the girls at Gotham Academy. They're way too entitled - like he thought Annie was supposed to be, seeing as she was the richest girl in the school _before_.

And she wasn't and they _are_. And he feels unreasonably angry about it.

He takes his aggression out on his training with Bruce and learns as much as he can. Because he's ready to get out there. He's itching to get out there, and maybe he can see Annie again - see how she's doing.

* * *

He's fifteen when they take the graduation photo and he's finally considered ready to join the Bat on patrol. Jason can't help thinking about how cool this is. He's _Robin_ now.

Barbara - Batgirl has spent most of the evening at the computer, working on a case and declines to join them - "this is your night, Jay-bird."

So he has fun and goes on patrol with Batman. It's surreal.

* * *

He joins the Teen Titans right when school starts up again and while he tries to fit in, he's not sure how well he's doing at it. Dick doesn't like him, he can tell. Either he's butt hurt about being replaced or criticizing Jason for his performance as Robin.

It's frustrating as fuck.

Because Jason's never been good enough. Sometimes, he likes to think of Dick as his big brother, but whenever Jason calls him "bro" Dick flinches, or glares and -

Jason starts to just call him Dick - because he's certainly acting like one.

He tries not to let it bother him, but there's a part of him - a very large part of him - that does not feel like he belongs.

And it hurts. Because he sees Dick as a brother and he just - ugh. He just wants a family.

* * *

It's when he's on patrol with Bruce on Christmas that he finally sees her. It's really early in the night - eight o'clock. And Jason almost thinks Bruce was following her, because he found her much too easily.

There are two guys cornering a girl, he almost immediately recognizes as Annie, and herding her to an alley.

And even as she raises her hands, as if to protect herself, Batman tells him to "Wait."

Which, fuck that. Jason's not waiting for Annie to get hurt - not when she's already done so much for him.

Jason dives right in and starts beating them up because - she's a kid. She's a kid and they're all like twice her age or more. It's disgusting - and he keeps punching, even as his arms get a little tired until Batman pulls him off of the guy - he might have dealt more damage than he expected and the guy is definitely going to need medical attention.

"Robin! I told you to wait."

It's condescending and - and - and Bruce just doesn't understand! She's - she was the little girl who gave him her food. She was the little girl that smiled even when the bullies made her life miserable.

"And watch them attack her?"

But instead of Bruce answering, it's _her_.

"Yeah, I'm with the Boy Wonder on this one, why the fuck would you do that?"

And - what? She curses? Since _when_? And he can't get her words out of his mind - she just called him the 'boy wonder.'

"You know what, forget it. I'm tired, I knew this was a terrible idea, mom told me she could get the food and I didn't let her. I've learned my lesson. No going out at night. Got it."

He wants to tell her it's okay. She can go out at night, with him around, but he doesn't. Because that wouldn't make sense - to tell her. And he's still trying to get over the fact she just cursed at Batman. So he smirks, smiles a bit, and winks. Because he knows she liked him and he's high on feeling like a hero.

"Be careful, yeah? This is Gotham, you don't know _what_ creeps are lurking about. Do you need an escort home, Annie?"

Batman just elbowed him. And crap - he let her name slip, didn't he?

"Nope. Thanks. Bye."

And wait, what? Why would she say no and - then she's walking away and he insists they follow her to make sure she makes it back okay.

This wasn't supposed to happen. She was supposed to swoon and - she just walks away confidently. Jason has to admit he's kind of turned on by that.

* * *

"Why did you want me to wait?" He asks Bruce the question that's been burning in his mind all night - since Annie made it safely back home when they make it back to the Batcave. He thinks he's done a good job, obeyed every order that evening afterward for three whole hours. So when they're back in the cave, Jason feels like he can finally relax and try to get some answers.

Bruce stares at him for a moment before he goes to the Batcomputer and brings up a big file - full of pictures and newspaper articles - all about Annie. It dredges up memories Jason remembers vaguely about the accident and even the bank thing Annie was involved in.

"If I'm right, she's a metahuman."

Jason's not sure he understands, though. Because what the hell?

"This is footage of an incident at a bank a couple of years ago."

Jason stares at the batcomputer's screen and narrows his eyes. He's reminded of that one Valentine's day - when he was still watching her after the Janitor's closet. Before he was Robin. But the angle's all off - and the footage he watched once upon a time was only from the outside.

"I remember that -"

Bruce raises his eyebrows even as Jason stops himself.

"I noticed you knew her name. Care to share?"

No. But Bruce probably already knows.

"I went to school with her."

Bruce is still staring at him, waiting for more of an answer. It's frustrating as heck.

"And I might have sort of . . . she had a crush on me before she went into a coma after this car accident where her dad died."

"This one?"

There's another news article on the screen now - an article Jason never read because he was ten back then and this wasn't important for him.

"Yeah, how did you -"

"I've had an eye on her for a while. Since the accident if I'm being truly honest. If you had waited back in the alley like I told you to, I could have seen if she really _does_ have powers. Did you see how she raised her hands before you stepped in? Almost like she was about to push them back. And look at this footage here."

Bruce plays the surveillance footage from the bank and it looks like the robbers barely have enough time to yell at everyone to "put your hands up where I can see them" when every single person except Annie, who seems to stumble a bit, seems to be pushed back by this sonic wave. Annie then runs away, but there's too many people to know without a doubt it was her because other people make it out too. She seemed to stumble a bit at the first wave, after all.

"She was the first one out too, and I was able to get a hold of the footage before the cops, but as you can see, it's not definitive proof. And I haven't seen her do anything since."

Jason nods, but thinks more on why Bruce would be watching her - because of course Bruce would do that. Was it even a coincidence Bruce had taken him in?

"I saw that on the news, when it happened, but that doesn't . . ." Jason wants to give more information but he's still stuck on the thought she may be a metahuman. If she's a metahuman her life is going to be hell. It always is for them. "She didn't remember anything from before her coma."

"And yet she still was able to keep up with school." Bruce seems to be muttering to himself at this point, but Jason doesn't give a shit.

"Yeah, she was always a bit of a teacher's pet, but she was smart too."

"You sure she lost her memory?"

"That's what the story around school was. She didn't recognize her best friends. Or her crush, I suppose. And she acted different. Didn't really smile as much."

Bruce raises an eyebrow at him and Jason feels his cheeks burn with embarrassment.

"You sure you weren't the one with a crush?"

Jason rolls his eyes, but the burn in his cheeks doesn't disappear. Tonight was the first time he'd seen her in over a year and she looked good. Bruce seems to sense that. "Anyway, she's harmless. She -"

"Her parents used to work for Falcone, you know?"

No. No he didn't know, but Jason supposes that makes sense. They were always better off than anyone else.

"Her mom was Falcone's attorney and her dad ran one of Falcone's most lucrative chop shops. Anyway, I'm keeping an eye on her for the time being. If she wants to live here, that's fine. But I don't like Metas in my town. So she needs to follow the rules."

Jason scoffs, but reviews the large file Bruce already has on her.

"Lex Luthor was the one that was driving the car by the way."

Jason raises an eyebrow at Bruce and can't help the incredulity that crosses his face.

"How'd they keep _that_ out of the papers?"

Bruce looks at him for a second, and Jason again feels nervous.

"Money can buy lots of stuff. Including silence."

Jason can't help the anger that rises up in him at that thought. Because Annie deserves better than that.

He digs into the file Bruce has on Annie that whole week, trying to find _something_ , even if he doesn't quite know what it is.

* * *

Working with the Bat is difficult at times, and working with Bruce is even harder. He meets the Justice League though, and really starts to get into the mix of the superhero business, but even with Dick not outright hating him after a while - and taking the name Nightwing - he still feels like an Outsider. The Replacement - that's what he is.

When he finds out his mother is not, in fact, dead, a part of him hopes more than ever before. He loves his mom. But she was gone. And now he finds out she's alive and - and he wants to find her. So he runs - he doesn't listen to Bruce when Bruce tracks him down and tells him to wait for him. And then he sees the Joker.

And it's just so fucking messed up - all of it. Because Joker tells him about how he orchestrated everything from Jason's becoming Robin to - to Jason's death. All to mess with Batman. To mess with Bruce.

There's a crowbar and pain and Jason just wants it to be over - where is Bruce? Why isn't he here saving him?

After what feels like hours of hurt and torture, Jason is locked and alone in the warehouse with his mother - his mother who sold him out and yet, Jason can't help but still love her. He wants to protect her still and he can't. There are bombs everywhere and -

Jason dies trying and failing to shield his mother from the blast and wishing he could tell Bruce he's sorry.

* * *

He doesn't expect to be alive. He distinctly remembers dying. And he's crawling out of the water and -

He's just so angry. He's never felt this overwhelming anger before.

He stays away from Gotham for four years. He stays with Ra's for a long time, not being able to find words for the longest time.

But he 'recovers.'

When he's nineteen, curiosity about what it is to be with a woman and anger at Bruce for not avenging his death, for letting that scumbag live, sees him fucking Talia al Ghul - the mother of that little shit Damian who is all of eight years old and training to be a little monster assasin - Bruce's real son, he hears. For a few seconds, he imagines it's Annie instead that he's fucking, and not Talia - that's underneath him moaning and willing. Annie who was sassy and had a crush on him, at least once upon a time, and who is back in Gotham. It's with her face in mind that he finds his release.

He feels guilty afterward, that instead of Talia, he was thinking about another girl - about Annie. He feels guilty that he uses Annie's memory to jack off even later. So he trains even harder in that last year and punishes his body even more. After all, he's died once already, right? Nothing can hurt him more than he's already been hurt.

It doesn't stop him from going to the brothels near Nanda Parbat every weekend and fucking the prostitutes while imagining they're Annie. He goes through most of the condoms at the base.

* * *

When he returns to Gotham, he aims to bring his full fury on Bruce, just like Talia told him to.

He takes over some of the smaller establishments around Gotham first, getting money, stockpiling his weapons cache, building his network.

He unfortunately doesn't have time to visit the red light district for anything other than business - and besides, he doesn't want anyone to see under his musk until he's ready.

On the night he plans to begin setting things in motion, he follows one of the lieutenants of Black Mask - for his head - and he sees a woman on the street being accosted by the lieutenant who's waving a folder in her face.

"What the fuck is this?"

The woman says nothing, backing away from the raving lunatic.

"I said what the fuck _is_ this?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."What little Jason can see of her face in the dark looks confused and scared and Jason almost goes to step in, especially when the thug grabs her arm, pulling her into an alley and getting really close to her face.

"You - _bitch_. The boss - he - you fucking _bitch_!"

Jason's curious about what this is. He doesn't understand much about the altercation, but he does understand that the two of them are probably in the same line of work. So Jason sits back. They're part of the scum he's trying to take over, and he doesn't even flinch when the thug pulls his fist back, aiming a punch to her face.

He's mildly surprised when she redirects the blow away from her body and begins fighting back.

"What the fuck?" the thug seems surprised by her skill, and Jason thinks maybe she's not a thug. Maybe she's a police informer. Maybe that's what the folder is about.

He's amused but also slightly sympathetic when she kicks the thug between the legs and connects, but that only seems to make the thug angrier as he grabs her hair - and at this point, Jason's had enough. He aims his guns and shoots.

Blood and brain matter is everywhere - on her face and - Jason winces at her scream - she's got a set of lungs on her.

Well, he's spent enough time watching. Jason jumps down into the alley and brings out his knife - the long beautiful knife that's perfect for cutting off heads. As he stuffs the head into his duffel bag, he turns to the girl, helmet still in place and asks "You alright?"

She nods, head staying close to her chest. "I could have taken care of him myself."

Her hands are covering her face, probably trying to brush away the blood and brain matter, and it betrays her fear even if her words are strong and steady.

"I'm sure." Jason's quite certain she would have been in trouble if he hadn't shown up, and she's the one on the floor anyway. "Up you get," he says, kneeling toward her and pulling her hands away.

He sees her face then and almost tenses. Almost. She speaks before he can.

"You're the Red Hood."

"Heard about me?" He's almost pleased. She looks like Annie did - he's quite certain this is Annie - and she recognizes him, even if it's not the him he's pretty sure she knows. It's been five years - they've been good to her. And maybe it's because it's been a hot second since he's had a good fuck, or maybe it's because every time he had imagined her, but the blood and brains on her face doesn't stop his pants from feeling tighter. Which terrifies him.

"You killed Eric."

"Was that his name? You knew him."

He feels a constriction in his chest at that. She knew this attacker. What was she thinking going out late at night associating with thugs?

"He's - he was . . . "

Jason almost thinks she's about to tell him this Eric guy was her boyfriend, so he turns away. He can't look at her knowing he's fantasized about that face in rapture as he's pushed into other women, and he can't look at her if she's about to tell him he just killed her boyfriend. That would be just too fucking messed up, especially after all the times he's imagined fucking her.

He's searching the body, grabbing the envelope the thug was waving in her face and as he turns back, because she hasn't answered yet, he sees her backing away and he can only stare. He supposes that's why he lets her run away. Because he's still imagining fucking her into a wall and -

He doesn't deserve her. He never has.

* * *

The file he takes off the dead body is interesting. It's a report about Black Mask's moves and is a veritable gold mine for Jason. For the next week he uses the information to verify the validity and then he has to wonder - how the fuck did Annie, if that's really who she was because she's certainly grown up, get this? She'd only ever had ties to Lex Luthor and Falcone.

That's when he starts his search for her - not that it's particularly difficult. He finds there are two apartments in Annie Simon's name - but after watching the first apartment for a solid three hours, and just seeing an old lady, he heads to the other one. He figures she must be a landlord or let her grandmother live in her other place.

As he steps into the second apartment through the window he forces open he stares around. It's cozy, has plenty of furniture and appliances. Some pictures, and he confirms it's almost definitely her. Not what you would expect of a struggling college student, though he supposes, if she were a struggling college student she wouldn't exactly have access to this information on Black Mask, would she?

As he snoops around and finds two different rooms, he comes to the conclusion that Annie lives alone. The other room looks like it hasn't been touched in years.

And then he sees the papers scattered all over the kitchen table - about Mrs. Simon's murder.

Which explains why Annie lives alone - if both her mother and father are dead . . .

He snorts when he sees the pile of bills - some that are marked paid with a confirmation number and others simply open but blank - due in the next week or so. He's so focused perusing her papers, he doesn't hear the door open.

"What the fuck are you doing in my house."

He doesn't even look up, but he notices it's the same voice so he's almost definitely found the girl from last night. Especially if she's recognized him.

"Just wanted to know what this is."

He pulls out the manilla envelope he's been using all week - it looks slightly battered.

"It's none of your fucking business."

Definitely the right place.

He looks up this time to see Annie there again, and the hormonal side of him can't help noticing her tight leggings and long brown hair - he could get his hands lost in that hair. And he really doesn't want to think about his 'fucking business' because a part of him just wants to say _she_ is his fucking business. His pants are already becoming uncomfortable in her presence again. At least there's no blood and brains, this time.

"I mean I could always take this to Blackie."

"And I could always make it so you could never walk or have children ever again, but that's impolite. So I'll give you the benefit of the doubt."

Jason can't help it, he laughs. Here he is thinking about pushing her against the wall and having his way with her and she's threatening him!

"You've got spunk, I'll give you that. But seriously." He waves the folder up high, standing up and staring at her. "You're a spy. That's a dangerous profession, you know?"

"You need to leave."

"What? You got a boyfriend you don't want seeing me?" The thought makes his skin crawl.

"And if I did?"

Jason shrugs, and responds "Worth it." Because it would be worth it. She would probably fit in his hands perfectly and make all the noises he's imagined her making as he bites her neck claiming her as his and fucking her so she can't walk -

"Fine. What do you want?"

He's pulled from his thoughts by her words and finds himself needing to get back to business before the tightness in his pants becomes too much and he ends up telling her he wants _her_.

"I already told you," and he waves the folder in her face again.

"And I already answered, it's none of your business. Next question."

"See, I think this is a report. So who do you work for?"

He needs to know. For his plans. Not because of anything else. Not because he wants to make sure she's not in league with the Bat. He doesn't know if he can handle her working for the Bat.

And if he comes close enough for him to breathe her in and smell her shampoo well - he almost doesn't respond fast enough when she makes a grab for one of his glocks.

And then he's got her on the ground, his thighs near her face and he's momentarily distracted by that thought before he swears. The next second, he's sent flying into the wall - back slamming into the pictures and breaking the frames. He almost doesn't even understand how except this is what happened to those robbers on Valentines Day. It registers in the back of his mind - this is good. This means she'll be safe.

Doesn't change the fact that he's on the floor and winded. He gets up slowly, patting his leather jacket for no other reason than to have something to do while he stares at her. She's still on the ground looking as fuckable as ever, but he tries not to think of that.

She just threw him across the room after all, and that's without knowing where his thoughts have been throughout the conversation.

"Well, that was interesting." The room shakes a bit at his words, and he holds his arms up in surrender. "Woah, woah, I get it. No need to bring down the whole building."

He watches as she gets up and heads to her kitchen grabbing a granola bar and he laughs.

"Quaker Oats? That's the food you go for?"

"What can I do to make you go away?"

He leans over the counter, his body tuned into every movement she makes, and responds, "You could go on a date with me?" She does not look impressed, and Jason hurries to add, before she actually takes his words seriously and tells him no, "or you could just give me this information. I mean sure - send it to whoever you have to, but I want in on it."

"Or what?"

"How many people know about your habits 'quaker.'"

"Why the fuck did you just call me quaker?"

"Quaker Oats, earthquake . . . it's better than vibe."

Vibe would totally murder him - if he hadn't already died once - if he knew Jason had just made fun of his name.

She's opening and closing her mouth as if about to say something and keeps changing her mind until she finally decides on "Whatever."

"What you don't like the name?"

"I'm tired and hungry. And I have work in the morning," she responds leaving to the room he assumed was hers when he first checked out her apartment.

"You didn't answer my question!" he calls through the door. He wants to know if she liked the name he gave her. Annie. Who had a crush on him and turned out to be a badass. And he wants to know if she'll work with him - give him this info, because so far it's been gold.

He decides in that moment he wants her. More than he's wanted anyone. She grew up well. He's going to need a cold shower or a good long appointment with his hand, he decides, as he grabs a pen and paper from her pile of stuff on the table and leaves his burner phone number taped to the fridge.

And then for good measure he slips a bug into her school bag. He wants to know if he has any competition, after all.

* * *

He's reviewing the surveillance on her from that morning when he hears him - Dickiebird - and an unreasonable amount of jealousy rises in his chest. The bastard is telling her about this team and - why won't they leave Annie alone?

"I'm not going to join any of your fucking teams."

Jason mechanically nods along with her words before shutting off the recording after he hears her call Dick "Big Bird."

He decides he _is_ jealous, but maybe he's got it all wrong, maybe they're nothing to each other. But what the fuck does _Big Bird_ mean? Does it have something to do with - he frowns. Dick wouldn't. _She_ wouldn't. What about Babs? Or Star Fire, even!

Except Jason's been "dead" for almost five years at this point and anything could have happened in that time. They seemed to know each other and sounded quite comfortable - _especially_ Dick.

He's sitting on her couch when she comes in and drops her many grocery bags on the floor with a groan. She doesn't even notice him as she moves to the kitchen, her hips swaying and grabbing another granola bar - he succeeds in smothering a laugh. And she doesn't notice him when she opens her laptop on her dining room table.

He decides, as he watches her take a bite of the granola bar, this is the perfect time to speak up.

"So. Big Bird?"

He can't help the smirk that makes its way onto his face as she flinches. She spins around slowly, her granola bar falling away from her face and a glare in her eyes. And he swears if he could kiss her and get away with it, he would. He gets up and walks nearer to her - just to be close to her.

"Are you _spying on me_?"

"You never answered my question," he responds, enjoying the way she glares and purses her lips.

"Which question? I dodged a lot of them, and - hey, don't change the subject! How did you know -"

He touches her shoulder then, because he wants contact and she seems to stare at his gloved hand. The last time he touched her he was a kid - dragging her into the janitor's closet. He wishes he'd had enough self-awareness back then, he might have tried to kiss her if he had. He grins as the bug - his bug, remotely powered, in the shape of a roach - crawls over her shoulder from out of her bag.

"Say hello to my best friend - the bug."

She freaks the fuck out, jumping and brushing her arm and - the bug is crushed by what looks like air.

Jason is mildly terrified that she just crushed the bug, because if she could do that - how is he still alive? She -

"What the hell, you just - that was expensive."

She glares at him, and he's still feeling intimidated that _she crushed the bug with a thought and can do the same to him_ , so he just mutters"Whatever. It's not the only one I have," while making a mental note to slip a few more listening bugs into her apartment and bags.

He continues talking, though, because the jealousy is eating at him, "So, you never said, why'd you call that guy Big Bird?"

Because if she mentions anything about Dickiebird's dick, Jason _will_ throw a fit.

She surprises him with her answer, which interestingly enough she takes a moment to think about. "It was a funny nickname I got from his younger brother, and I felt like being obnoxious."

She turns back to her laptop without waiting for his response and brings up a word document - already filled with words and quotes and - it looks well organized, at least for a first draft.

He's slightly relieved at her answer, and scolds himself. Big Bird - older robin. Of course Tim - the fucking replacement - would come up with a nickname like that.

As he stares at her, he thinks it's cute, her focusing on her homework while he stands in her dining room. He's not stupid. He knows he cuts a good figure in the outfit and the prostitutes were always happy to see him. And he wants her attention.

"So, that date -" he begins, but she cuts him off.

"I'm not going to date you."

He tries to cover his disappointment. He's not sure it would have been as effective if he hadn't been wearing his helmet.

"So, you'll be my spy?"

He doesn't want to leave her alone, after all. And he'll need an excuse for that.

"I didn't say that either."

"Well, it's one or the other. Consider it a thank you for saving your life when that guy -"

"His name's Eric, and I told you, I had it handled."

He answers, "It didn't look like it," while trying to cover his frustration. He really hopes this 'Eric' guy wasn't her boyfriend, though he has a feeling he'd be crushed (like the bug) if he had been.

"Well, I _did._ Why are you even doing this? What does it matter? Aren't you a psycho killer or something? Why the fuck do you care about information on the Black Mask's organization?"

Thinking on her words, she probably _did_ have it handled. She was keeping up with the guy physically. And threw Jason across the room a few days later. He might not have even been needed. But her words bother him. "I'm not a psycho killer. I'm just doing what needs to be done to clean up this town."

She scoffs. "By getting information on Black Mask? To do what?"

"See, the thing Batman doesn't understand is - you can't stop crime. And I'm not going to. I'm going to control it."

He needs her to understand. He needs her to agree - because he doesn't know what he'll do if she says he's delusional - a psycho killer - again because those words are for the Joker. Not him. If she accepts him, maybe there's a chance Bruce will -

"And how are you going to do that?" She's skeptical, but she's hearing him out, which is a good sign.

"I'm going to take over and make sure they don't sell to kids. I'm going to be the one protecting the layman."

"You say that now, but you basically just want things to stay the same and be the one in charge."

She doesn't get it. "I _don't_ want things to stay the same. I don't want them dealing to kids and my punishments aren't a slap on the wrist. I'm willing to do what needs to be done to clean up this city and if that means killing the ones that go against my orders, I will."

"Just the ones that go against your orders?"

"I mean, I wouldn't be opposed to killing psychos like Two-Face, or -"

"And the Joker?"

Why is she bringing up the Joker? Just the word leaving her lips makes his blood boil and one part of him want to throw her on her bed and fuck her and the other wants to throw a chair out the window and go hunting the Joker down, ignoring all his carefully laid plans.

No one's said the Joker's name aloud in his presence since his death.

He swallows and tries to reign in his anger.

"The Joker's at the top of my list."

He hopes she's not one of those misguided idiots who just thinks the Joker is ill and belongs in Arkham - where he can escape and hurt more people and -

She nods and says, "Okay. I'll help you. What kind of information are you looking for?"

He thinks he should just throw her on her bed and fuck her already anyway.

"Just like that?"

"I don't agree with a lot of the things Batman does - or rather doesn't do. Even if you killed Eric, I can get on board with getting drugs away from kids. So what do you need?"

He leans back in his chair and eyes her for a moment - her laptop and paper seem to be ignored for the time being. He has all her attention, and there's one question that's been bothering him.

"Well, first of all, who do you work for? Besides Black Mask, that is."

This time she answers without hesitation.

"Falcone."

He leans forward a bit, after having just leaned back, because he was not expecting that. He was expecting the GCPD. Maybe even the Bat - because he had an eye on her way back when and she was literally just talking to Dickiebird.

"Really?"

"I've worked for him since I was sixteen."

"Why?" He can't believe this. He dies and everything goes to shit. Nevermind. He can totally believe it, he thinks as he watches her roll her eyes and respond.

"Well my mom had just died and I didn't want to move in with Lex Luthor in Metropolis, so I didn't have that many options."

Right, her mom died. But, "Why would you move in with Lex Luthor?"

Isn't that the guy that killed her dad and put her in a coma?

"Because he's a meddlesome businessman that thinks he owns me because I'm a science experiment gone wrong? I don't know."

Science experiment gone wrong? What does that mean? Does it mean Luthor is the one that made her meta? Does it mean she's been meta since her coma?

She looks nervous the longer he says nothing. "I mean, you saw what I can do."

"How long have you been like that?"

"A few years? Probably since I was nine - but I couldn't really control it for a while and didn't even know about it until I was twelve - I think ."

When she was twelve. Before he dragged her into the broom closet then? Or after? He mentally shakes his head and heads to the one question he really wants to know, because he really wants to just drag her to her room already. He's definitely having an appointment with his hand tonight.

"So, you never answered - you got a boyfriend?"

She rolls her eyes, and he's certain she thinks he's just messing with her because she smiles and says, "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"No seriously!" He wants to know how likely she is to let him fuck her, after all.

"I have a paper to write, so if you're going to be so obnoxious, you're going to have to leave."

He laughs, because she looks so fucking adorable and just _done_ and he wants to stay in her presence forever. So he holds up his hands in surrender and says, "Okay, okay, what's the paper about?"

That whole night, it gets more and more difficult to focus on helping her with her paper. Because though Jason loves English and misses this type of work, she smells fantastic, and he keeps having to lean over her shoulder to show her where this sentence would fit better.

He leaves with her number and her telling him she'll leave a report across the street from where he first "met" her every other Saturday night.

And when he gets back to his hideout, he takes himself in hand and imagines her in front of him as he cums. It's one of his most intense orgasms ever.

* * *

He sees her again on Thanksgiving because as he listens to some of his routine surveillance to make sure his plans are falling into place and Black Mask's empire falls away piece by piece, and he hears her voice speaking to what sounds like the old woman he'd watched for three hours when he was still looking for her.

Her laugh's nice, not like anything he's heard in a long time. It's happy. And then she tells the old woman, who's asking for grandkids, "I don't even have a boyfriend, I doubt grandkids are anywhere near in the future."

And it's the best thing he's heard all year.

He leaves his hideout making his way to the first apartment and spends the holiday watching them - eating and laughing. And when she leaves, he follows her.

"Nice night," he says, dropping next to her and she doesn't tense up, though she pauses for a moment on the pavement.

"Hello, Red."

"So, you can tell your grandma you don't have a boyfriend, but not me?"

He wants to get to the topic at hand - the one he wants to talk about.

She glares, and asks "Where's the bug _this_ time."

He chuckles because _of course she'd understand_ , and then he reaches for her purse, hand barely brushing past her breasts - and she doesn't seem to notice anyway, and pulls out the circular listening device.

 _Only for it to fall apart in his hand._

"Hey!" He's mildly terrified once more that she was able to do that with such precision and he sees her lips twitch as he keeps looking from his palm now filled with trash to her face and back again.

"That's what you get for spying on me."

"You can't see it, because of the mask, but I'm glaring at you." He's not really glaring, but telling her he wants to fuck her cause he was turned on by what she just did would probably make her want to run away. Or do t o him what she just did to the bug.

And she laughs at his words, so he decides it was a good decision, as she hands him the pie plates.

"Here, make yourself useful."

He can think of ten different ways he can make himself useful, and while some of them involve the pie, all of them involve him with his lips against her skin. "You sure this is how you want me to be useful? You could just tell her _I'm_ your boyfriend, it'll get her to stop bothering you about grandkids."

He's only half-joking, but it figures she'd think he was just messing around because she doesn't even acknowledge his offer.

"She's not _really_ my grandma."

"She's not?"

"We just sort of found each other. She lost her home because of Falcone and was asking him for help and I - I had this condo just sitting empty from . . . and anyway, I wanted to help."

She found her own family. He finds himself smiling and a small part of him wonders if Jason had been a part of her makeshift family once upon a time. If maybe the Red Hood can be a part of it now.

It's when she turns to face him that he says, "You can't see it, because of the mask, but I'm smiling."

She stops at her apartment building, but he's not ready to leave her just yet, so he heads on in.

"Hey!"

"So, when are we going to have that date?"

She rolls her eyes - brown with flecks of gold and he could stare into them for hours.

"I don't date masked morons."

He tries not to let that hurt. "Ouch. I'm insulted."

"You should be. It _was_ an insult."

"Alright, give me one good reason why you won't." It's fun this banterring, but while he's pretty sure she's just making conversation and isn't taking it seriously, he wants to know. He hands her the pies.

"One: I've never seen your face and don't even know your name."

Which he can totally fix in two seconds, and in all honesty, she _has_ seen his face and she _does_ know his name. So he throws that reason out as invalid.

"Two: I'm vain and superficial, and without seeing your face I can't make an informed decision."

Also irrelevant. Jason's face was good enough for her before.

"Three: You're one of Gotham's criminals, technically, and I'm certain Batman is going to come after you sooner or later. I have enough problems getting him to leave me alone without adding this to the list."

And damn - that's a valid reason. Except -

"Wait, what? Why would Batman-"

"I don't know, ask him."

That - that doesn't sound right. Is the Bat still bothering her about her meta powers? Does he still have a watch on her? Is he watching her now? Are the replacement and Dickiebird her friends - or stalking her? And doesn't she work for Falcone? _And_ Black Mask?

He will need to ask Bruce about this, he decides. But not until his plans have come to fruition. Not until their final showdown.

He gets very close to her face, trying to affect her the way she affects him _all the fucking time,_ and says, "Maybe I will. See you later, Annie!"

He's going to need another cold shower, his hand is getting tired and he needs it to be in top shape to pull the triggers. Which is unfortunate.

* * *

Things aren't going as well as it should be when the Holidays roll around - the Christmas and New Years ones, that is. Because yes, he's taken over a good portion of the crime business, but Batman still hasn't seemed to become any more interested in finding him.

And he's bored. Everyone - even most of the thugs and his minions - is staying home with their families. It makes him think about the fact that he doesn't have a family anymore.

Bruce is probably celebrating with Dickiebird and his replacement.

The only person he even remotely knows well enough in this city, and who just so happens to not have much family either, is Annie.

A selfish part of him hopes the old lady - Mrs. Janet - is busy for the New Year. So he makes his way to her place on New Years Eve and he makes his way into her apartment via the fire escape.

It's the middle of the day, but she's not in the living area. He's not even sure she's home. So he lounges by her kitchen table and peruses her files.

He almost jumps when he hears her say,"Maybe I should just give you a key."

Now _there's_ an idea. But she's here, and he needs some kind of human contact for the holidays. He asks her if she has plans for the holiday and she talks about how the old lady has plans and -

"So that's a no?"

"I didn't say that."

He smiles and he starts telling her "under the mask I'm smiling," but she interrupts and lightly smacks his shoulder - it's so light, and he knows she's capable of so much worse. And it makes him happy that she's physically comfortable enough to touch him so casually.

"Oh, shut up," she says and then she's walking to the refrigerator and offers him pie. And damn. She's teasing him about the mask, which was probably her intent. It's too deliberate; there's no way she doesn't know how badly he wants the pie.

"No! I want pie!"

So she brings two plates instead of just one and begins eating, leaving the plate in front of him. And he's faced with a dilemma.

He _could_ take off his helmet, but he's not wearing a domino mask underneath at the moment. It's not _necessary_ and he's not been planning on letting anyone see him without the mask until the Bat comes after him.

But he's worried. He doesn't want her to know who he is yet. He's not certain she'll recognize him, but . . .

She eats for a solid minute, not even glancing at him much, and - he really wants to try that pie, it looks good.

And then she's getting up, heading to the room _she never goes in_ \- her mom's room, and she's back with an eye mask.

He can't help the warmth that rises in his chest. It's almost difficult to breathe, he thinks as she puts the eye mask on and blindly stabs her fork into her pie - barely making the mark.

"There. Eat."

He pauses, staring at her for a moment and then - he reaches up to take the helmet off.

And her pies remind him of Alfred and home cooking, and he wonders if the taste of this pie is what most people think of when they think of home.

When he's done, he notices she still has some, but he wants it. So he takes her plate and she doesn't protest. He finds out she's made pie with her mom and _she shared her pie with him_. He writes a quick note to her and -

He can't help it, when he bends down, pie pan in hand, and presses his lips to her forehead. It's the first time he's been without his mask in her presence, and - he's not thinking _much_ about fucking her, surprisingly. But, he's definitely thinking about just staying here in her presence. For maybe forever.

He hightails it out of there the second after he kisses her because she's reaching up for the face mask and - he can't face her.

He thinks that if he's not careful, he'll give up his murder plans just to spend more holidays with her.

* * *

The New Year passes and then before he can even blink, it's the end of April - _nearing the anniversary of his death._

He's been able to ignore it. The fifth year anniversary, by going to Annie's apartment at least once a week, but more often than not every other day. He bothers her with questions about Blackie and asks her to go on dates with him. He's only slightly hurt when she laughs it off, but he figures every night she hangs out with him is practically a date anyway. And time she spends with him is time she isn't spending with any potential boyfriends.

She also feeds him pie _every single fucking time he asks for it._

The year is flying by, with him spending more and more time with her. Jason almost feels he's losing sight of his end goal, sometimes though. So when the anniversary of his death gets so close and she starts talking about a shipment with a piece of technology coming in to Blackie from LexCorp, he knows it's time.

And fuck it all - but she wants to be _involved_ in this one.

He tries telling her it's not a good idea, but she wants a piece of it and he can't figure out why.

"Why do you need it again?"

"It's tech that's been in close proximity with LexCorp."

"So the only reason you need it is to get into LexCorp's systems?"

"Yes?"

He doesn't know how much good it would do her. But it's a relief knowing she's not against his taking over the crime world. And while a part of him is relieved this will force some of his plans forward - because something tells him the Bat isn't going to leave this shipment alone, he's also a bit sad. And worried.

"I just . . . I guess I'll just have to put my plans into motion a little sooner than I'd liked."

"You haven't even _done_ that much with the intel I've given you," she says a pout on her face and he can't help but think - she has no idea, does she?

Last week he used the information about how many of Blackie's men were involved in this one club - very popular among Gotham University students - to blackmail and turn some of Blackie's men. And through her he's been able to sneak in bugs!

He almost tells her this.

But even though she's seen him hack a guy's head off and even though he knows she is aware of his reputation and his questionable actions, he doesn't want to tell her. He likes the fact that he can talk about things other than just work.

Even though he's told her his plans and she's seen his methods, he's afraid she'll run away screaming at any second. Calling him a psycho. Like that one time.

Then she says, "It's okay. Whatever. I'll just. I'll see you Saturday."

And he can't breathe because - because all this time he's spent with her and - it dawns on him that she's become something like family to him. And he needs to breathe and he's having trouble doing that with her here.

So he leaves. And he promises himself he'll see her Saturday if nothing else.

* * *

Batman is chasing him and he couldn't have planned this better if he'd _tried_. Annie stayed hidden by the docks while he shot his minions who gave him away - because Red Hood doesn't tolerate snitches. They gave him up to the Bat. And yes, that was the plan, but they got what they had coming.

He doesn't see where Annie ends up because he's too busy outrunning the Bat in his car and of fucking course Bruce is already here in his own personal jet. Jason doesn't even try to drive safely, swerving and making it to the tunnel.

And fuck. There's a grapple on his car, so Jason opens the hatch to the convertible. That's going to be an expensive fix, he acknowledges as the top is ripped off. Or it would be, except Jason doesn't really care about the car, and just crashes it into a warehouse.

He's in there now, staring at Bruce as he relives the past.

This was where the Joker was born.

"Hard to forget that night, huh? In a way, Batman, this was the site of your first failure. Maybe your greatest, but certainly not your last, right? Ah, memories." He shoots the car and the spark ignites the flammable chemicals.

And then he's running again, trying to get away.

He almost flinches when the bat almost falls into a vat. He's trying to punish Bruce, but he doesn't necessarily want him to die.

And then he's gone, slightly relieved to see Batman on the roof of the other building.

Alive to fight another day.

* * *

That other day comes precisely ten hours later when he listens in on one of his bugs - that made its way into Black Mask's office through Annie's bag - and discovers another shipment to Black Mask.

That's how Jason finds himself in a helicopter - hijacking it and - right on cue. Batman showed up.

And Dickiebird and The Replacement! This is starting to look like a party!

Jason dives down with the copter - and yeah, people might get hurt, but Batman's here. He's got it. He won't let anyone die. Not like with Jason.

And then Jason's running again. He couldn't have planned it better himself. He dodges a batarang, and jumps out a window throwing a can of oxygen up that he'd grabbed as he was running out of the building and shooting it.

This is exhilarating, fantastic. Just like the old days.

Jumping from building to building. It's poetic, the skills Batman gave him, helping him escape and wreak havoc.

He shoots - and misses, on purpose, because he doesn't want to kill Bruce. Not because he has shit aim.

And then he's twisting, cutting Bruce's cable and falling into the train station.

Right where he wanted them.

He revs his motorcycle to get their attention after the bomb goes off and shouts "You haven't lost your touch, Bruce" - because he's that much of a tease. He wants Bruce to figure it out. He wants Bruce to know.

Such a shame the train was so loud.

* * *

He gets the text from her about how Black Mask is sending assassins after him and he has to smile at that. She's always going on about how texting isn't safe and - _"the NSA could be watching!"_

He's sure they are. And she still thinks his safety is important enough to break her own rules and possibly expose her whole undercover thing she's got going on.

He's not too terribly concerned, mostly acknowledging to himself that this is where his plans are really going to start falling into place - he'll be able to face the Joker and Bruce and finally get an answer. He'll finally get _justice._

He finds some of Black Mask's thugs shooting up one of the bars formerly run by the crime lord that now holds allegiance to him. And at first he's grinning because this is it - he's certain Bruce will be here again. But then he sees three girls - Emma and Sarah - the girls who used to be Annie's friends in school, he didn't know they still hung out - and Annie.

How stupid can they be?

His heart is stuck in his throat as he watches the bullets rain into the bar and he sees Annie cover her friends and he swears. He'll kill them. He'll kill every single one of the ones that shot her - because he sees where those bullets are aimed and he's certain some of them hit her. He turns his face away because he can't watch her die and he can't shield her like he once tried with his mother. He's too far away.

He doesn't think he can lose her. It hurts even thinking about it. And he just has, hasn't he?

He follows the thugs who drag the bartender - _his fucking bartender_ \- to an alley and shoots the flaming bottle, knowing the guy won't survive. The guy deserves so much worse, in Jason's opinion. He'll go after the others later, though.

Because then it's four against one because the Fearsome Hand of Four have arrived and he stalls until Bruce gets there.

And then he is, and Jason quips back, "What the hell took you so long?" because he's late. Annie's dead because Bruce is always so fucking late.

When he kills the guy with a taser to the face, Jason doesn't feel bad, and is in fact angry as hell that Bruce is admonishing him.

"Just be happy I only killed one of them. They're all assassins."

He'll kill all of them later - he'll track them down and get justice. Because they killed Annie, not that he's about to tell Bruce any of this.

"And what are you?"

"I'm cleaning up Gotham! More than you ever did."

"You're stealing territory from Black Mask and killing anyone who gets in your way."

"Black Mask is just a part of a plan."

"Plan? You're becoming a crime lord."

"Yes! You can't stop crime! That's what you never understood. I'm controlling it!" It's the same words he gave to Annie - the same explanation, and it hurts repeating the words because she's gone and she was the only one who _understood_. "You want to rule them by fear. But what do you do to the ones who aren't afraid? I'm doing what you won't! I'm taking them out!"

"Tell me what happened to you. Let me help."

 _Fuck you, Bruce. Fuck you and your help._

"It's too late. You had your chance." He throws a smoke bomb. "And I'm just getting started."

* * *

He gets back to her apartment at five in the morning because he just wants to soak up what's left of her presence in this world. Mourn her. Maybe he can move on, but he doubts it. Maybe wallowing in his sadness will give him enough motivation to get through the next few days.

But he finds her curled up in her bed and can't help the relief that sweeps through him - because she's not dead and _how_? How is she not dead? He saw her get shot! The second he cracks the window open, she's sitting up and has a glock in her hands - and crap. He didn't know she had guns too.

It's a bit of a relief to be honest. And definitely a turn on. Because she's alive and - fuck. He was worried he would never get to see her again.

He puts his hands up in surrender and is relieved to see her drop the gun.

"Morning to you too."

"Red? What the fuck are you doing here?"

He was mostly just coming here to mourn, but she's still alive, and that's such a relief. She looks a little shaken, if the gun in her hand is anything to go by. A large part of him is feeling possessive and protective. She can't get hurt like that again. He can't let her get hurt again.

"Can I crash here for the night?"

She stares at him and then mutters to herself, turning back around.

But, she doesn't say 'no.' So he finds himself climbing into her bed, pulling her into his arms, and pulling his helmet off.

He tells her to go to sleep, but she wants to fucking _talk._ And then she's trying to turn around, and - he panics a bit and covers her eyes.

She promises she won't open her eyes so he lets her turn around and her face is so close to his and she _keeps_ talking. And then she's talking about trust and how she understands why he doesn't trust her and _fuck_. He just wants to hold her and make sure they're still alive - that _she's_ still alive. He put her in danger tonight, and she doesn't even - and she's getting angry at him and -

He does it to shut her up, because she's talking and he just wants to hug her and make sure she's alive and he's alive, at least for now - and she _won't stop talking_. And he doesn't want to think about Bruce and his plans. He just wants to remind himself that he's still alive.

He doesn't mean to sleep with her when he kisses her. He just kisses her to shut her up - and then he can't get enough of her. All the times he's imagined fucking her are nothing compared to this. Her lips are softer than he thought they would be and she's _actually kissing him back._

She had always just brushed it off, his flirting, but now her hands are in his hair and his hands are reaching down to her waist, pulling at her shirt and -

And she's not stopping him. He knows she's more than capable of throwing him to the other side of the room with barely a thought, like she did that one time when he pinned her to the floor after she tried to take his gun, but she's letting him touch her and sink his tongue into her mouth and do all these things he only ever entertained as mere fantasy.

In fact, she's eagerly pulling at his own jacket, eyes shut most of the time but still fluttering open, like she wants this so much she forgets she's not supposed to see him. At the moment, he can't find it in him to care about that. He doesn't care if she knows who he is anymore. He kind of wants her to find out - he's the boy she gave her food to, that she used to have a crush on, that -

He should have kissed her long ago, and he would have if he'd known she'd respond this way.

And as he pushes into her, feeling her around him and his forearms keeping his weight from crushing her, he stares into her eyes - her dark brown eyes that are half closed and then wide open a second later, he can't help but think _this_ is what he's been missing his whole life. _And it feels fucking amazing_.

Her gasps - the noises she makes as she approximates his moniker "Red" - just spur him on with them taking turns on top and with his own efforts bringing gasps from his own mouth because - _this_ is different from other times he's done this, more overwhelming. Maybe it's because he knows she's more than capable of taking care of herself and - and he wouldn't be able to do this if she didn't want him to - and she does.

Maybe it's because he's wanted this - _her_ \- for so long.

It occurs to him, at the last moment, when she's shaking against him - it almost feels like everything's shaking - and tense and _feeling so absolutely fucking wonderful around him_ that he should have probably gotten a condom, but it's not like he planned to sleep with her when he stopped by her apartment, he thought she was dead, and he hasn't been carrying condoms since Nanda Parbat anyway, and in the next second it's too late and - and he's exhausted with her lying against his chest, still enveloped around him.

She feels like home.

She falls asleep almost immediately, but he stays awake, one of his hands still in her hair and - and _fuck_. He hadn't meant to do that. Any of that.

He can't bring it in him to regret it though.

And he was right. He _can_ get his hands lost in her hair.

* * *

He wakes up at eight o'clock in the morning to find Annie curled into his side and sirens blaring throughout the city. He mutters under his breath because he's only gotten two hours of sleep and that's not nearly enough, but he needs to get moving. He needs to make sure everything is still in place for his final showdown.

He's slow as he turns to the side and detangles his limbs from Annie's - Annie who stays asleep and looks amazing with her hair splayed across her pillow. He tries not to feel too proud that he wore her out so much - because she was up late. And it might not have been his doing - two hours of sleep would make anyone sleep like the dead.

And shit. He needs to get out of here. Because last night is when his plans really started to fall into place and - and every time he's with her he finds it difficult to concentrate on his end goal - revenge on the Batman and Joker and -

He makes coffee in her kitchen, not being able to bring himself to leave just yet, taking a big mug of it, before he leaves, but can't stop himself from leaving a note - warning her to stay away from Black Mask for the next few days. He's going to blow up that building and he can't if he knows she's in there.

He has to do the rest of this alone, and as much as he doesn't want her to get hurt, he knows she'll distract him if she's there. She's always distracted him, after all.

He promises himself he'll see her again after this is all over.

He makes his way back to his hideout, keeping out of sight of the streets because he can hear sirens everywhere - he swears, there's more rubble in these alleys than he remembers - and watches the computers as he brings up the news. Instead of seeing news about the clubs that were shot up, as he expected, there is an emergency alert about an earthquake that happened early that morning - at around 5:30 in the fucking morning.

He frowns and thinks back. He was with Annie at 5:30 and they were -

He stiffens, and it dawns on him - he thought everything was shaking. Was that - did Annie - he feels a smirk stretch across his lips and almost wishes he were still in her bed.

He made Annie lose so much control, she made a fucking earthquake when she came.

He wishes they could do it again, but as he watches the news and hears about the destruction they caused, he has to shake his head.

Damn.

She's powerful. And dangerous, and while government officials are currently having a hard time finding the epicenter of the Earthquake, it shouldn't be long now.

He can't make her do that again until he's sure she won't cause the whole world to fucking shake.

But man, was it worth it. They'll just have to practice, he decides.

* * *

He makes sure his bugs verify her presence at home - she's humming in the kitchen, and isn't that a surprise? He didn't think she was musically inclined - before he aims the bazooka at Black Mask's face - Black Mask who's ranting and punching his men. Never Ms. Li though, and he's lucky he's not violent with women - Annie was in his presence after all. Otherwise, Jason really _would_ kill him.

The moment Black Mask sees the bazooka, Jason waves.

And then, "Wow. He sure can move when he wants to."

He fires and there's fire everywhere and Jason knows that after this Black Mask will be desperate.

* * *

It works. There Joker is on top of a truck. And when Bruce picks Joker up with the grapple hook - Jason drags him into the river.

"I've got him. You want him? Meet me in Crime Alley."

And then he finally has the Joker alone, and all the hurt and anger that is so easy to ignore in _her_ presence comes back full force and he takes a sick delight in beating the shit out of the Joker. With a crowbar.

Jason loves poetry. This is some Shakespeare-level shit.

And the look on Joker's face when Jason takes out the crowbar is so fucking satisfying.

Not too long later, Batman's in Crime Alley. And Jason calls out to grab his attention.

"This ends tonight. All of it." Bruce tells him and he knows that. He's been planning this.

"Nobody knows that better than me."

And then everything's moving fast and - that's a dumpster flying toward him. And shit. Even with him jumping out of the way, his feet are tied up and Jason falls to the ground hard.

Well, whatever. It's not like it wasn't bound to happen at some point.

"Huh. Oh, you and your gadgets." And then he cuts the wire and sends an electric current through. "You're not the only one with toys. Crap."

Because those are bombs on the floor. And Jason doesn't have time to get away before he's being blasted to the wall.

He makes it to a fire escape (somehow) and Bruce is hot on his heels.

It's while they're exchanging blows, with Jason being able to cut off Bruce's utility belt, that at some point, _falling to another rooftop_ , he finally gets Bruce's cowl off by playing dead - flipping back and laughing.

"Look at you. I guess we should keep it even."

He takes off the red helmet and there's no flash of sudden recognition, just resignation.

"Jason."

"Yes."

"I don't wanna fight you."

"All evidence to the contrary."

"Please. I can help you. I know what happened."

"Oh, you got to talking to Ra's huh? But does it make it easier for you to think that my little dip in his fountain of youth turned me rabid? Or is this just the real me?"

He kicks the helmet over, and can't help the smile that comes to his face as he pulls out the detonator. And then they're fighting some more as the explosion causes one of the pillars to fall and Jason's able to get Bruce in a headlock.

"Tell me, what bothers you more? That your greatest failure has returned from the grave? Or that I've become a better Batman than you?"

"You're ruling through intimidation and murder. You're just another criminal."

"I'm what this city needs!"

They fight over Jason's favorite knife for a second, before Jason sinks it into the roof - such a great knife, what a shame, and spinning to get behind Bruce - grapple hook in hand.

He makes Batman fly and then climbs up and starts punching.

Bruce wasn't considered a possible successor for the head of the league of assassins for nothing, though. He breaks out of the hold and punches Jason - holding him back and reaching for something under his glove.

"Hidden goodies all over, huh? We're both just a couple of walking armories."

"Maybe so, but let's see how you do without your _toys_."

And then Bruce lights Jason's favorite leather jacket on fire - falling back and hanging from the ledge.

Jason manages to throw the jacket off before grappling away, running along the buildings and jumping into the bathroom of the abandoned apartment where he stashed the Joker.

Bruce's kick sees Jason breaking the porcelein, and fuck!

"Enough! It's over!"

But Jason's not done fighting. He keeps fighting, taking a punishment as he crashes into the toilet, the walls.

"You say you want to be better than me, but it won't happen. Not like this!"

With that last word, Jason is pushed through the fucking _wall._

"I know I failed you, but I _tried_ to save you, Jason. I'm - I'm trying to save you now. There are options - people who still miss you - like your old classmate - I know we talked about -"

Jason grabs his gun and aims it at Bruce - Bruce needs to stop talking - _now_.

"Is that what you think this is about? That you let me die? I don't know what clouds your judgement worse. Your guilt? Or your antiquated sense of morality. Bruce I forgive you - for not saving me. But why? Why on God's earth," he kicks the closet door away revealing the Joker, "is he still alive?"

Joker laughs - that horrible, terrifying laugh and Bruce looks sick.

"Gotta give the boy points! He came all the way back from the dead to make this shindig happen. So, who's got a camera? Ooh, ooh! Get one of me and the kid, first! Then you and me. Then the three of us. And then one with the crow bar. Then-"

Jason has enough at the last one and hits Joker over the head.

"You be as quiet as possible, or I'll put one in your lap first."

"Party pooper. No cake for you."

 _That's fine_ , Jason thinks as he tosses the psycho to the floor. _I prefer pie anyway._

"Ignoring what he's done in the past, blindly, stupidly disregarding the entire graveyards he's filled, the thousands who have suffered, the friends he's crippled! You know I thought - I thought I'd be the last person you'd ever let him hurt. If it had been you that he'd beat to a bloody pulp, if he had taken you from this world, I would have done nothing but searched the planet for this pathetic pile of evil death worshiping garbage! And sent him off to hell!"

"You don't understand. I don't think you've ever understood."

And it's not him that doesn't understand. Annie understood, but she had her own problems to deal with - like money and school and fucking _Luthor_. Jason has seen those bills. Sometimes, Annie has put off paying them until the last second. He can forgive Annie for not avenging him - because she doesn't even know how he _died_. Bruce has never had that problem. But he can't bring Annie up, not in front of Joker.

"What? What your moral code just won't allow for that? It's too hard to cross that line?"

"NO! God Almighty no! It'd be too damned easy. All I've ever wanted to do was kill him. A day doesn't go by when I dont think about subjecting him to every horrendous torture he's dealt out to others. And then - end him."

"Aw. So you do think about me!"

Joker had better shut up soon.

"But if I do that, if I allow myself to go down into that place, I'll never come back."

And - that's _bull_.

"Why? I'm not talking about killing Penguin, or Scarecrow, or Dent. I'm talking about _him._ Just him. And doing it because - because he took me away from you."

"I _can't_. I'm sorry."

"That is so sweet."

"Well you won't have a choice." He throws Bruce one of his guns.

"I won't-"

"This is what it's all been about - you and me and him! Now is the time you decide. If you won't kill this psychotic piece of filth, I will. If you want to stop me, you're going to have to kill me."

He needs Bruce to choose him. Because this isn't fair. None of it. He knows Annie would - Annie _did_ choose him. And he just wants his father to choose him too.

"You know I won't-"

"I'm going to blow his deranged brains out. And if you wanna stop it, you are going to have to shoot me - right in my face!"

"This is turning out even better than I'd hoped."

Bruce drops the gun.

"It's him or me - you have to decide. Decide now! Do it. Him or me. Decide!" And Jason isn't even aiming the gun at Joker anymore. He's pointing the gun at Bruce and he shoots him.

And Bruce dodges, and his batarang makes Jason's gun misfire.

And then Joker's laughing _again._ And talking too loud, and Jason's in a bit of a shock.

He thinks to himself, he wishes he had more time with Annie, as he sets the bombs and sits because it hurts too much to move. He should have at least told her goodbye.

And then - when there's only six seconds left, Bruce gets up, finally throwing Joker off him and grabs him - Bruce grabs him and throws him away from the blast.

And a part of Jason is relieved - Bruce chose to save Jason instead of Joker.

But he hides as Bruce goes through the rubble - he hides and - Joker just laughs and starts asking about - "What was that about that old classmate of the boy? Anyone I know?"

Cold dread pools in Jason's stomach as he hobbles away from the smoking burning building.

* * *

He stays away from her because he can't face her. He stays away because he failed and Joker is still alive. He stays away because Joker knows there's _someone_.

He can't let Joker find out about her.

He stays away, but he doesn't really because he listens in on her day, on her conversations.

"I don't have _time_ for a relationship" he hears her tell the old lady and he wants to be sad because _what does that mean?_ But at the same time he's happy because that means there's been no one else. He had turned to other women after Talia because he loved sex, and he was a little scared she'd be the same. Though he supposes, if there had, he would have heard about the earthquakes.

He stays away.

But then one day, about a month and a half later as he's listening to her live on his surveillance feed, he hears a knock and then Joker's voice and he panics.

 _Because fuck, Joker found her._ And although Jason knows she's strong and badass, Joker's a maniac, and Jason's not about to make the same mistake Bruce made. He grabs his closest guns and his portable listening devices.

He hears Jokers words and knows he's the one who put her in danger.

"Do you know the moron who masquerades as Red Hood?"

Say 'no' - Jason thinks. She just needs to say 'no' and maybe Joker will -

"No."

 _Thank God_ , Jason thinks as he makes his way out of his base and gets onto his motorcycle.

Joker just keeps talking and Jason thinks he might not make it in time.

"Well, what am I supposed to do _now._ This was supposed to be the place."

"Why? Are you looking for him?"

Yeah, Annie - keep the psycho talking. He turns a corner.

"Well, Bats mentioned a girl when he was talking to the boy wonder. And I figured I'd figure out who she was and pay her a visit. It was something about a childhood friend or lover or whatever. I've been tracking everyone in his elementary class down. I already stopped at the other place that has an Annie Simon in property records - I'm going in alphabetical order of the first names, you see."

Fuck, fuck, fuck! This is all Bruce's fault!

"What the fuck did you do to Ms. Janet?"

 _No_ , he thinks, zooming through Gotham. _Just keep the psycho talking, Annie._

"Well, now what makes you think I did anything to - Ms. Janet you said?"

Gotham's still recovering from the earthquake makes traveling through the city harder.

"What the _fuck_ did you do to Ms. Janet?!"

 _Hold on, Annie. Just hold out a little bit longer._

"Now, don't you think you should watch your language?"

 _Yeah, Annie, just keep stalling._

"What do you want?"

 _Keep stalling._

"Well, I want to know what you know about Red Hood."

 _Pretend you don't know._

"Go fuck yourself."

And then a gunshot and Jason almost crashes the motorcycle, as he stops and breaks and - she can't be dead. She can't be dead. He's still three miles away!

"What happened?" The Joker is asking the question and -

That's - that's good, right?

He hears a slight clanging and he doesn't move his motorcycle because he still needs to hear her voice - and what if he misses it because the motorcycle is making too much noise and - and what if she's dead?

"There's nothing wrong with your gun."

Thank God Annie's still alive.

Jason revs the motorcycle and takes off again.

"What did you do? You're getting more and more interesting." A pause, then "Ooh, what are you going to do? Are you going to shoot lasers from your hands or are you going to -"

"Get out of my apartment, and I'll let you live."

 _No, just kill him Annie - he doesn't deserve - he'll -_

"You know, it's impolite to interrupt people.

"It's also impolite to kill people, but I'm feeling rude today."

 _And Joker laughs, but Jason just needs to reach her and he applauds her ability to quip back._

"We should have come here first."

So there's more than just the Joker? Damn.

"That way we could have had fun with _her_ instead of the old lady. This girl would have been able to handle it."

Jason is going to rip that bastard to shreds! He's -

"Fuck you."

"And she has such a colorful vocabulary. And it would be poetic! I killed him, he comes back, he tries to kill me, and I kill his girlfriend. Instead, I just got the grandma of the girlfriend."

"You have three seconds."

"You're no fun."

And then all Jason hears is crunching and in the distance he can see her building shaking a little. Then -

"What -"

"I warned you."

Jason hears a couple of sounds and just when he's a mile out - he checks his tracker and Annie's on the move - thank goodness.

* * *

He makes his way into Falcone's main office shortly before the building starts shaking and he struggles to dodge the falling debris. And then he hears the gunshot, and Jason's heart stops in his chest again, before he rushes up the stairs only to see another girl enter the office - Falcone's daughter. Maybe. Possibly. He has no fucking clue.

"Annie? Annie, what happened?"

Jason's still trying to get closer - he needs confirmation Annie's still alive - with the amount of times Jason has thought she was dead this past _month_ though . . .

"Annie, help me!"

Jason creeps closer to the door.

"She's the one that did this."

"What? Dad? What are you saying?"

A cough. "She's the one that -" a couple more coughs "- that brought the building down on us."

"What? Annie? What is dad saying?"

"I brought the building down."

Annie's alive, but why would she bring the building down, he looks into the room, staying hidden from Falcone's daughter's eyes in the shadows.

"Annie?"

"I brought the building down."

And then the mobster's daughter has a gun pointed at Annie's face, and Jason is not about to stand by while Annie is shot. _Not again._

Jason shoots Sofia Falcone between the eyes.

"Annie?" he asks, lowering his gun, but she stares at him blankly - Jason's terrified as he looks into her eyes and then she starts crying. "Annie, what happened."

He's only ever seen Annie cry once - when they were in third grade and she was being beat up. He's certain it was because she was in pain, but afterwards she just cried even louder and hid her face as she sat next to him waiting to talk to the principal.

"He killed my mom for Luthor. And Mrs. Janet's - she's - Joker, he -" she starts hyperventilating at the end of her sentence, tears still streaming down her face, and the building starts shaking even more.

And he can't let her take the blame for this. Batman will figure it out and - He pulls a couple of wires out and sticking some of his C-4 he always has stashed in his second favorite leather jacket at the corners of the room - where there are already cracks from Annie's earthquakes.

"Let's go, Annie." She doesn't seem to move for a second, so he adds more strongly, "Come _on_!" holding his hand out - because the clock is ticking and -

She takes his hand and follows him wordlessly, wiping her eyes and asking, "Where are we going?"

He doesn't know where he's taking her, so he just tells her it'll be safe. He won't take her _anywhere_ near Joker.

And then she goes limp, and if Jason had not been holding onto her hand, she would have hit the ground hard and would have possibly broken her nose.

And he panics a bit, and ends up taking her to the only safe place he knows right now - his.

* * *

He doesn't know why she won't wake up or why she's running such a high fever. Was it a side effect of using her powers so much? Did the same thing happen after their night together? He should have stayed with her - he should have made sure she was okay.

He tries to play it cool when her eyes flutter open, but as he tries to get her to stay awake, he knows there's some panic in his voice. It's been sixteen hours since she fainted, after all.

When her stomach growls, he hurries to his "kitchen" area and nukes a can of generic chicken soup (out of the can of course - he's not trying to start a fire, after all).

However, the second he brings the soup, she grimaces, turns slightly green and starts to get up - heading out the door. A part of him almost thinks she's trying to run from _him_ and worries. Did she figure something out? Has she decided he's not right in the head?

But when he follows her, helmet on, he finds her up-chucking in a corner just outside.

"You okay?"

"No."

"Right, stupid question."

Of course she's not okay. She practically brought down a building - she found out her boss killed her mom - she was _attacked by the Joker_ \- she was unconcious for _sixteen fucking hours with a fever_ \- she just threw up bile, which means she hasn't eaten anything to throw up.

Of course she's not okay.

"Red?" She's looking at him with bleary eyes, and then she stiffens.

"Did you _have_ to blow up another building? What did Falcone ever do to you? You never even did that to Black Mask!"

First of all, yes he did - or did they miss the bazooka? Second of all, _fuck_. Batman's here with the replacement and Dickiebird. But at least it sounds like they think he did it so -

"Yeah, so?"

"You can't just - there were people in there! And you _shot_ two of them! They're dead and -"

He only shot one of them, thank you very much, but he doesn't want them to know about Annie's involvement, so he asks instead, "What do you want?"

"You can't just do that!"

He throws a glare they can't see at the Replacement as Dickiebird exclaims, "And why are you even still wearing the mask right now? It's not like we don't know who you -"

And no. Dickiebird doesn't get to out his identity to Annie.

"Because it makes me look cool."

He glances at Annie as she bursts into laughter, bringing the other's attention to her and then - damn. She's throwing up again.

"Annie." _Of course_ the Replacement knows her.

"Why are you here, Annie? You know he's -" Dickiebird's talking now and -

"It's none of your business. _Replacement_." He throws the insult at _the new robin_ because he's about to speak up and it's more of a warning than anything else.

Her stomach grumbles again and she tries to get up, asking,"Where _are_ we?"

And then Batman asks if he fucking kidnapped her - of course he didn't! - and uses his name. His real one. And Jason panics, because he hasn't had the chance to tell her yet and -

"I'm going back inside."

Jason freezes, because - because she didn't even acknowledge it.

He stares at the bats and they stare back and just as he turns around to head back inside, he hears her phone go off behind him.

He waits for her to answer, but it just keeps ringing and ringing and then it goes dead.

He's at the entrance when it starts up again and the Replacement asks if she's going to answer.

"No." She's just staring at the phone while it rings and Jason can't help the laugh that escapes him at her answer. The third time the phone goes off, she answers with a frown, sitting back.

"Hello? . . . That's me. . . And this is . . ." she sits up abruptly. "O-of course, um. I'm not exactly feeling the best right at the moment. Do I need to be there now? . . . Oh. I-I'll try to be there soon."

She lowers the phone and then Dickiebird is talking again and Jason doesn't even give a shit anymore.

"What's she even doing here?"

"None of your fucking business."

Because it's not. They didn't care when Joker - and - why the fuck is she grabbing her backpack and getting up?

"Going to the hospital. I have papers to sign."

"You're not healthy enough to go anywhere. I mean, you were just throwing up. You _fainted_! In the middle of the street!"

And she's been unconscious all day.

She's trying to give him a heart attack, isn't she?

"I'm fine."

He's certain she's not fine.

"Is fainting a _normal_ occurrence for you?"

"Sometimes."

Oh please - that - that's bullcrap. And even if it's normal for her, that's not okay! That's not healthy.

"What about throwing up - what about any of that makes you think you're fine?"

"I didn't eat enough - that's why I fainted. And I'm feeling fine now."

That - that makes no fucking sense. She brought a building down with her mind and yet it was 'not eating enough" that did her in?

"You didn't answer my question. And you haven't been able to eat yet either! It's been sixteen hours! She shouldn't be up yet."

She's not listening to him, and that's frustrating, because she's obviously not well, and maybe the bats can be good for something for once.

"Really. I'm fine."

And they're staring at him as if - as if they had no idea she knew he's alive again. He's not certain she _does_ though.

"And anyway, we still need to talk about what the fuck you were thinking last month."

He folds his arms in front of his chest because now the bats are staring at him as if they don't know him and it's frustrating - they have to know some of what he was up to the week before.

"I'll go with her!"

And fuck no, the Replacement is not going anywhere near her.

"Try to stop me and see where that gets you, Red. I'm not a damsel in distress. Besides, I'm going to a _hospital_. If anything goes wrong, I'm in the right place."

And damn, he thinks as he sees her leave - _and none of the other bats tries to stop her._

She does stop, though, at the door, and says, "He only shot Sofia by the way. And blew up the building. The rest was all me."

And as she leaves he rolls his eyes and the Replacement follows her.

He's left staring at Bruce and Dickiebird and they're frowning at him, until at last Dick says, "Will you just take off the helmet, Jason?"

He rolls his eyes, but takes it off - no mask this time, though, and Bruce takes off the cowl.

"What did she mean just then?"

"She was making shit up."

"So you knew she still -"

"You put her in danger by bringing her up like that. With Joker in the room."

"I was trying to remind you that you still have options - there are people who care about you. I was trying to remind you that what you're doing - it's madness. All of it, being a crime lord - that's what made Annie Simon's life hard. You don't honestly think if she knew what you were _really_ doing, who you _really_ are, she'd be okay with it?

"She's the one that helped me get to where I was that night."

Man, the shock on Bruce's face is priceless and it's Dick that steps forward.

"How long have you been in contact with her?"

He doesn't want them to know, but he figues they'll try to figure it out on their own and he doesn't need them snooping in his love life.

"I don't know - about a year."

"A year?"

"Yeah, well. She's been -"

"You've been in Gotham and waited a full year to finally see us, but you immediately go and see your girlfriend?"

"She's been working for Black Mask. I needed her. And she wasn't my girlfriend. She's still not _officially_ my girlfriend."

They scoff.

"And she makes great pie, so there's that."

"Alfred could give you pie."

"That would mean going back to the manor. And you obviously didn't care enough -"

Dickiebird is scowling at him as he exclaims, "That's bullcrap. You didn't see Bruce after you died! He was a wreck."

"Yeah. Such a wreck - he replaced me within a year."

Dick rolls his eyes and Bruce steps forward a bit.

"Jason - I'm sorry."

"Yeah, well - sorry doesn't really cut it. You know why I'm angry. You didn't care enough. I don't know if you ever did. You know I always wanted to ask - is the reason you picked me up off the streets because of Annie?"

"What? No!"

Jason finds that hard to believe.

"Really?"

"You were the one who took the wheels off the batmobile. You showed spunk - and - I didn't research everyone in her classes."

Jason stares but shrugs, turning away and setting the helmet by his computer.

"Joker went after her yesterday."

Behind him, he can hear Dick suck in his breath, but Bruce doesn't say a word. Bastard probably already knows.

"I heard the audio and didn't make it in time -" he presses a couple of buttons and the Joker's voice rings out - the whole conversation Joker had with Annie.

He pauses the audio after the sound of the gunshot.

"If she wasn't a meta, she would be dead. I don't know how she does it, but she can stop bullets. And she got away. But if she hadn't -" he glares at Bruce again, "Her death would have been on you, Bruce. That piece of garbage should be dead already. I could have killed him and you stopped me."

Her death would be on Bruce and Jason - because Jason didn't kill Joker. Because Jason put her in danger in the first place. Because Jason cared more about what Bruce thought.

"You didn't kill him because you were too busy trying to get me to do it."

"You think I don't know that?"

"You decided to shoot me because I was walking away. You could have just as easily shot the Joker instead of me. That whole thing you did - that was a show."

"And you still didn't pick me." The two are staring at him, and Jason sits down. "You didn't pick me. You know, Annie asked me some of the same questions you asked me, Bruce. Why am I doing what I'm doing? What makes me different from Falcone or Black Mask? And she said okay, but only after I said I wouldn't let psychos like the Joker live. And she gets me. She decided and you - you wouldn't. So yeah, fuck you Bruce."

Jason's just - he's done. He's done trying to get Bruce to care.

"Does she know who you are? Really?"

"Well I haven't told her, but she didn't seem shocked just now when you used my name, so who can say?"

Because fuck. He'd slept with her and hadn't told her - and she - _does_ she know?

"You look hungry. Let's get you something to eat."

And of course, Jason _is_ hungry because he's spent the last sixteen hours watching Annie and hasn't had much in the way of food, but - why the fuck is Bruce taking him to get something to eat?

A domino mask is thrown in his direction, and against his better judgement, he follows.

* * *

They have dinner, masks on, in a Big Belly Burger in downtown Gotham, and Jason almost has to smother a laugh at the faces of some of the other patrons when they realize Batman and Nightwing are eating in with "an unknown."

Jason has the odd feeling Bruce and Dick are regulars to this place in costume.

They seem to know Bruce and Dick's orders by heart and just smile, waving away payment.

"You guys come here often?" he asks as they slide into a booth as they wait for the burgers to arrive.

"On and off," Dick answers waving away his question and then Bruce is staring at him and they're all silent until the burgers and fries come out.

"So. What are you planning on doing from here on out?"

Jason shakes his head as he bites the burger. "Haven't decided yet, I suppose. I mean I _am_ a Crime Lord, so -"

"You're also legally dead."

Jason shoots a glare at his once-older-brother and takes another big bite out of his burger.

"We could see about restoring your legal status if you would just come home."

He doesn't want to fucking come home with these losers. He just wants to stay with Annie.

"Why would I want to do that?"

"Because then -"

Bruce stops Dick from continuing by holding his arm out.

"Look, son -"

"I'm _not_ your son. Your son died in that explosion."

"Look!" Oh, he made Bruce angry? Well there's a first. "You and I, I think, are always going to have our differences."

"No shit, Sherlock."

"I'm Batman, not Sherlock."

"Whatever."

"We have our differences, but that doesn't mean I don't want to have anything to do with you - I still think of you as my son."

"Yeah, really feeling the love."

"Jay-Red. Look, you -"

"I don't know why you two are bothering so much. Is that your thing? Keep offering until eventually they give in?"

"You have a place with us. That's all I want you to know."

"Even though I'm a crime lord?"

Jason can't help the smirk that crosses his face at that and he smiles to himself as the two look so torn.

Jason's breath hitches as Bruce nods.

"Even though you're a crime lord."

He wasn't expecting that.

Jason spends the rest of the meal watching Dick and Bruce talk about patrol and how Robin - they throw a glance his way at this and add "the third" - has this huge drawing board where he figured out just how the Iceberg lounge has been getting its drug supply.

As much as Jason doesn't want to pay attention, he finds himself smiling and taking notes.

* * *

It's when Jason, Bruce, and Dick are making their way back to his base three hours later that both Bruce and Dick stiffen.

"What? What is it?"

"Annie's fainted again."

And crap.

"Wha-"

"Tim said he was going to take her back to the cave. Jason - don't do anything rash."

And fuck.

"Jason, she'll be fine!"

He makes it to the cave just behind Bruce and Dick and there Tim is _with his fucking hands on her._ And how fucking dare he?

"Jason, get back here. We aren't finished talking, yet."

But Jason _is_ done. He's done talking and so he grabs Tim by the collar of his shirt and only stops because Annie talks. And she sounds hungry and _why the fuck is she getting up? She just fainted again - the second time in the past day! Is she okay?_

And then she's defending Tim and - ugh.

"You should rest here tonight."

"Why the hell should she?"

And fucking Tim answers. "Her house is under investigation because the Joker was found there. And let's face it, your little hideout is no safe house, it's barely a headquarters."

Fuck you too, Replacement.

"I'm not leaving without her, Bruce."

"You can stay here too, you know."

Jason tries not to scoff at that, but doesn't succeed. Did they fucking plan it? Ask him to come home, then kidnap Annie to get him to stay? He doesn't _want_ to stay.

They don't want him anyway. He ignores his old suit in the corner - memorialized - and tries not to wince when he feels Alfred's eyes on him as Alfred offers Annie tea and crackers.

And then Dick is asking Annie questions and Jason really needs to talk to her first and -

"He's been around for a while. But he's right. It's really none of your business."

And Jason could kiss Annie right now.

"But you - what did you mean you did the rest at Falcone's?"

Jason's had it with all the third degree. "I already told you, she was making shit up. We've been over this. For a couple of hours already. We're done. You coming with me?"

"Jason, I - Just please . . . stay the night. We can talk about this in the morning. And this way, she can sleep somewhere comfortable."

Jason glares at Bruce, but can't -

"Master Jason, would your old room suffice?"

He can't deny Annie would probably recover faster in a feather bed than his lumpy futon. And Alfred - Jason has never been angry at him.

"Yeah, sure that sounds fine Alfred."

And because this is the first time Annie's been here with him, Jason offers to give her a tour.

Mostly he just shows her his old room - the room where he jacked off for the first time ever and imagined Annie and now he has her here, this was a bad idea -

He's almost touched his room was left like a memorial for the five years.

Almost, because just down the hall is Tim's room.

He finds Dick while Annie takes a shower and almost walks by without a word, but then it occurs to him, Annie doesn't have any clothes other than the ones she was wearing earlier and - as much as Jason would love having her naked in his bed, he doesn't think he should risk the temptation. Wayne Manor is old and he doesn't think it would survive the earthquake.

So he asks Dick, "Are any of Babs's clothes still here she wouldn't mind Annie using?"

And Dick gets some clothes - says it's his girlfriend's and that she won't mind - Jason doesn't ask who the girlfriend is because _it's Dick_.

And when Jason goes to sleep that night he holds Annie tight and wishes he could stay like this forever.

* * *

It's only the second time he's woken up with her in his arms, but he decides then and there he wants everyday to be like this.

Since she's trying to get up, he holds her closer. The only reason he lets her up at all is because she says she's hungry - and she's already fainted twice.

He wants to get out of Wayne Manor as quickly as possible, though. He doesn't want to get comfortable, because he doesn't belong here. He never has - not when he was a gutter rat, and definitely not now that he's a 'crime lord.'

When Annie tells him she'd rather go back to his place and doesn't want to stay here, he can't help the slight skip that he gets in his steps.

And after an awkward breakfast where Jason mostly just glares at the Replacement and Dickiebird, they leave.

Since her apartment is apparently under investigation, and since she doesn't seem to want to stay in the fucking mansion, he takes her back to his place.

And she calls it a lair. A fucking lair.

And then she remembers she forgot stuff at the manor some stupid groceries and her backpack with - how long has she had Amazo's leg?! Jason doesn't want her to go back there. He doesn't want her going back because he knows if she spends more time with them - the Bats - she's going to want to do that more - the bats are all so fucking annoying with their clinginess.

And she looks like she's panicking, so he heads out again and -

Tim doesn't even look up when Jason gets to the Batcave, motorcycle roaring.

"What happened?" Bruce is the only one that seems alarmed to see him. Jason's insulted.

"I'm insulted. I thought I was welcome."

"You are, but you said you didn't want to be here. So, why the sudden change of heart?"

"No change, just Annie forgot her groceries and her backpack. I've seen her bills. She's a penny pincher out of necessity, not just because. And she's hungry."

"It's in that corner over there!" Tim shouts as he types away on the Batcomputer.

As he moves to leave, Bruce calls out for him "visit again soon."

When he gets back to his hideout, with two sandwiches, her backpack, and her groceries, she's not there and all the trackers he had on her are in her purse - which is in his hands.

* * *

There was no sign of a struggle, so Jason waits. And waits. He drinks slowly out of a bottle of cheap beer. He goes through half a case.

He figures if she's run - she's smart. If she comes back, he's never going to let her go again. Jason acknowledges he's possessive and this is probably not healthy.

The next day, around noon, she comes back in looking fine and - he's a bit angry at her, but also relieved she came back at all.

And even if he can't fuck her just yet for fear of shaking the whole city - and isn't _that_ a turn on - he has other skills to keep her with him. Like hacking machines.

* * *

He feels like he's living in a dream for the next week. He wakes up with Annie in his arms every day and even though every night he doesn't take it any further than fondling and making out she seems to sigh and gasp - just like that night.

When she goes off to the police station he jokingly asks her if she'll need him to break her out.

It was a joke.

And then she's gone for four fucking hours and he knows somethings wrong when he hears, "You've reached the phone of Annie Simon."

It's a guy. A guy has Annie's phone.

"Where the fuck is Annie? And who the fuck are you?"

"This is the GCPD, who is this?"

He hangs up immediately and doesn't call. He heads straight to the Batcave.

"The Police are morons and they need to let Annie go. Now."

Bruce doesn't even look up from his computer.

"Did you hear me? The GCPD won't let Annie leave - they have her phone."

Bruce slowly turns around and Jason has to fight to keep eye contact.

"Did she do anything to warrant being questioned?"

"She went there voluntarily to answer questions about what Joker was doing in her apartment." And that's Jason's fault. And Bruce's. "If you ever cared about me, you'll help her. Get her out of there. Please."

Bruce looks Jason in the eye and gets up - donning his Bruce Wayne clothes and leaving.

Jason tries going back to his hideout, hoping she'll show up. Instead, his bugs (that somehow survived the police sweep of her apartment) pick up the sound of movement.

And she's home, he thinks.

"Were you not going to call and let me know you weren't coming back?"

"I was hungry. And all this stuff is crap and useless at this point. Thanks for bringing the groceries."

He's thinking while she sorts through her food and makes some semblance of a meal. And - all of this is his fault. Him and his vendetta against Joker. She's been great about it, but with the way she's been acting lately, Jason's pretty sure she's upset.

She's upset with him, and he doesn't know how to fix this. He wants to tell her everything - explain why Joker came after her, explain why Batman has such an interest in her and -

"Why are you so upset, Jason?"

He doesn't say anything again while she shovels food into her mouth. And he stares at her lips and her spoon. He needs to tell her - maybe not all of it. He doesn't want to tell her about the fantasies he's had about her dating as far back as the ninth grade or sleeping with Talia and the prostitutes in the brothel. But the Joker and Bruce? Yeah, Jason wants to tell her about that.

He needs her to understand - he's not safe to be around. He couldn't save himself. He needs Bruce's help to save her. She's not safe with him. It was his fault. She needs to know and he needs her to stay with him despite it all.

And while Annie is great at understanding him most of the time, this time, he thinks, she's got it wrong. He doesn't want to fight with her though, so he talks and talks and-

He doesn't know how to continue this story. By all rights, his death should be the end of the cautionary tale of Robin - the kid that died.

Annie seems to sense that he also doesn't want to continue, and then she says, "I should have killed Joker when he was here last week."

But that's his fault too. "He shouldn't have even been here in the first place."

And then he tells her about the League of Assassins and he tells her about how he always has this rage and how he's angry that Bruce let the Joker live and -

"I think anyone would be upset about that. I know I sure as hell would."

He doesn't dare tell her about all the women he slept with in Nanda Parbat, but he gets to the part where he came to Gotham and how he was jealous of Dick and the nickname - Big Bird - and how he can't leave her alone. None of them can, and he's sorry. He doesn't want her to die. He's sorry.

"Okay."

She can't mean that, she can't be okay with any of this, but as he stares at her that whole evening, he decides even if she isn't he doesn't care. He doesn't want to keep going without her.

And if she says okay now, then that's it. He's going to find a way to keep her with him for as long as he can.

That night as he climbs into her bed, he holds her tight and kisses her like his life depends on it. He makes a mental note to get some condoms and leave them by her bedside so they can get to practicing, so they can cum together without bringing down half the city.

* * *

He starts to suspect she might be pregnant when she mentions the old lady wanting grandkids.

He'd found her filling out paperwork in the hospital and looking like she was having a hard time breathing.

" _She was a stubborn old woman with no children. Always telling me I had to give her grandkids."_

Annie says this and then starts crying and - fuck. Jason remembers that brief thought of his that night, about a condom and realizes this is the second time he's seen her cry in the past year. And both times have been in the past week.

He tells her they should get some food, because - fuck. The vomiting, the hunger, the _crying._

And he's not sure if she's being deliberately obtuse or if she just doesn't realize her symptoms point to her being pregnant. He's certain he's staring at her as she eats, buthe just doesn't get it.

How hasn't she noticed? How long has it been already? Two months, almost? Which means - seven months left?

Jason tries not to panic, but then he thinks - she must have been pregnant when Joker found her and he starts overthinking everything again.

And does she even want his kid?

Fuck, he messed all this up for want of a condom and because he couldn't keep his dick in his pants.

He spends the rest of the week freaking out and sticking a tracker in every one of her hair pieces and in her phone, and in her jeans' pockets. He can't lose track of her again.

Because she's pregnant and - he's going to be a terrible dad. He doesn't mention it to her, because he doesn't want to make any assumptions about her cycle, but he makes sure she eats and sleeps enough. He tries to keep her in bed for as long as possible and takes to cooking a lot.

He even calls Alfred for healthy recipes that are easy to make - that sure made Alfred's day because Dick sends Jason a text later telling him Alfred's been in a happy mood the whole afternoon.

Jason does all that even though he's terrified he's going to mess this kid up, because if he's going to mess this kid up it's not going to be because Annie was malnourished.

And then she gets kidnapped by Aliens just outside of her apartment. Because that's the only explanation for why - and how - she disappears from just outside the door moments after she steps out and ends up in Space.

Jason panics. Jason panics because she's pregnant and she's been kidnapped and _fuck._

He doesn't even have a choice. He drives to the batcave and asks for help. He tries not to take it personally when they tell him to stay put - he's not a child! - because he's still technically dead and - can he even be the baby's legal father if he's dead?

Three fucking hours later, he's yelling at Dick who's trying to stop him again when he hears a bike - a bike and Annie is there and _Tim needs to get his hands off of Annie_.

He quickly pulls her into a hug and finally takes a deep breath. She's safe.

"I can't fucking let you go anywhere can I?"

"It's been a crazy week, I'll give you that. Can you let go of me, now?"

He realizes then just how tightly he's holding on to her and quickly lets go - he doesn't want to hurt her, her or the baby, and it still blows his mind that she's either not yet connected the dots or told him if she has.

She turns to talk to the Replacement then and despite the fact that she asked him to let go of her, he still needs to touch her - she was _gone._ In _space._ And he just needs to reassure himself she's still here with him.

He ignores Dick's smirk because Dick doesn't know shit. He didn't just almost lose his not-girlfriend.

He really should get that stuff sorted out before the kid arrives.

"So aliens abducted you?" He asks because they need to know what they're up against and if this happens again -

"Nah, it wasn't aliens. Just the Justice League."

"What?"

Dick and Jason speak at the same time and she fucking _smiles_. Why is she smiling? And why the fuck is she okay with this?

"Jinx. You both owe me a soda. What? It'll help with the throwing up too. You know, Ginger Ale, I'm told, really helps settle the stomach."

She's trying to make him laugh, but he's still stuck on the fact that -

"What do you mean it was the Justice League?"

The Replacement answers instead of her. "They were questioning her about the orgasm-induced earthquake."

Jason really wants to punch The Replacement because Tim knows Annie was thoroughly fucked - and when. But Annie's here and he doesn't want her to get mad at him. Annie needs something from Tim and she probably won't be happy with him if he lets out his rage. So he just glares.

"That's all?" The annoyance on Tim's face is priceless. "They could have just asked, they didn't have to kidnap her. And why the hell wasn't Bruce involved? He -"

Because nothing excuses the Justice League from kidnapping a pregnant girl.

He turns his head to the sound of Bruce entering the cave and Jason's confused why Bruce is staring at Annie.

"They should be leaving you alone now. I explained some things."

While Annie answers her phone, ringing in his pocket, Jason stares at Bruce until Annie looks at him and tells him it's Luthor. Because fuck - does Luthor know she's pregnant?

She asks for a plus one, and tells him they'll see him on Saturday and Jason just - Jason doesn't want her to go anywhere near Luthor.

"Why was Luthor calling you?"

Bruce is asking Annie one question, but Jason _knows_ Bruce. There's another question there and -

She explains a good chunk - what Bruce had already suspected and then some, focusing on the time before Jason died. She talks about how Lex Luthor paid Falcone to kill her mom and when Bruce asks her if she wants Luthor dead, Jason finds himself getting closer to Annie - more than he already is.

He's surprised to hear she doesn't want Luthor dead. She just wants to ruin his life.

It's when Alfred brings out the tea, Jason can see her eyeing it - she's hungry.

Before Jason can take her home though, Bruce tells him to take the Jaguar. The car. Not the bike.

He doesn't need charity.

But Bruce just says it's not for him. "A car is safer than a motorcycle." The whole time he stares at Annie.

Of course, Annie was in the watchtower for a while with other Leaguers - with Superman who has X-ray vision. Does Bruce know -

Bruce is right - a car _is_ safer.

* * *

They make it back somehow - and he can't believe he didn't think about how dangerous a motorcycle is - by trying to distract himself with how embarrassed Annie must be because she caused a fucking earthquake by -

But the main thing on his mind is how dangerous her going to Luthor's charity ball is. And he wants to protect her. He wants - he wants to be legally alive again.

He's relieved when she asks him to be her plus one. That she didn't even think of asking anyone else.

It takes a week for the papers to come through, because money can get _anything_ done. And when Bruce asks him why he's doing this, with no one else around, he responds, "Annie's . . . probably -"

"She's pregnant. Yeah, J'on J'onzz sensed that."

Bruce is fucking smirking at him.

"Didn't I warn you enough about using a condom when you were fourteen?"

"I ran out of them in Nanda Parbat and it didn't seem so important when I got back to Gotham."

"Well, what does that have to do with you being legally dead?"

"I wouldn't be able to be the dad if I'm dead, would I? Legally. I haven't talked to her about it. She hasn't even told me she's pregnant, I just guessed and -"

"J'on tried to tell her, by the way, but she seemed to misunderstand."

Jason snorts - she's definitely being obtuse about this, then. It's now even part of the reason he's trying to keep his hands off of her as much as possible - he has no idea how her powers work and what if they hurt the baby because she doesn't know or -

"Yeah, sounds like her. Anyway, can it be done? Really? You mentioned it could."

"If you came home."

Jason tries not to frown.

"I have to live in the manor?"

"No. It just means you can't go killing people left and right like you have been."

Well, what the Bat doesn't know won't kill him.

"Fine."

"Also, Dick and Tim are going to Metropolis too - you'll probably see them there. They'll be representing the Wayne Foundation. You could too, if you want - once you're legally alive again that is."

"Whatever. Sounds like a job. And I have one of those. Anyway, this is your first grandchild, isn't it? How old does that make you feel?"

Bruce laughs - he actually laughs, and smiles, and Jason thinks someone must have replaced Bruce because it's so weird to see.

* * *

He gets the certificate on Friday and can't help the giddiness, staring at it. It almost makes him feel normal.

When he shows it to Annie, she doesn't seem to understand what the big deal is. He's almost amused just thinking about what her reaction to being pregnant will be. But, he's not about to suggest it to her.

* * *

Drake and Dick are both there, but he almost finds he appreciates it - their presence, because it's another set of eyes on her.

Especially since Lex Luthor seems interested in how Jason and Annie got together, even if Jason doesn't tell him much, because he notices she's a mess during the whole duration of the charity convention. From the onset, she's got shifty eyes, and telling him she needs a drink - for a second he panics, thinking she wants alcohol.

He's all for her learning how to take Luthor down on her own, but if she thinks he'll let her consume alcohol while pregnant, knowingly or not - but she doesn't fight him on the water. She looks like she appreciates it.

He tries not to become too anxious when she leaves his sight, finding himself staring into the familiar eyes of Clark Kent - Superman, and thinks this charity thing was too much. He doesn't want to be a part of any of this and Annie's the only reason he was here in the first place.

He'd rather be at home running his drug empire.

"Hello, Jason. I heard you were . . . back."

Jason almost sighs, because this is Superman, and Jason cannot easily blow him off.

"Yep. I'm not dead anymore. Can't tell you how great that is."

"Would you happen to have a quote for the Daily Planet?"

It's Lois, and Jason's tempted to give her one after Cat Grant's invasive questions. Still, there's something odd in Clark's eye - as if he's not quite present in the conversation.

"Not particularly," Jason responds.

She also gives Clark Kent this _look_ and Jason internally laughs, because _of course_ she figured it out again.

If only she could figure out she was pregnant as easily as she figured out the secret identities of superheroes.

He has a minor freak out when she starts bleeding everywhere - but it's just her foot - and fuck. 'Just her foot' is still pretty bad.

And he tries not to be too annoyed when Dick stitches up her foot. He could have done it himself.

* * *

On Monday when she wakes up throwing up again, he decides he's done with her obliviousness.

He tells her she needs to see a doctor, because what if this isn't normal and she needs to be hospitalized.

It's when she says "I don't need a doctor - it's probably just hormones and in a few days my period will -" that he knows she's about to figure it out.

He takes her to the only doctor he trusts anyway.

* * *

He doesn't _need_ his bugs to tell him where Annie goes off to when she runs off on her own. He knows now that she has a few familiar haunts: her apartment, the pickle aisle of the supermarket, his place, or Janet Smith's hospital room.

The bugs just... make it faster to find her, that's all.

He stands just outside the old lady's doorway, bag of vitamins in hand, just listening. It warms his heart to hear her call him her best friend - even though she won't use the word "boyfriend" yet - and in the next second, when Annie says she'd be a terrible mom, his heart twists and wrenches so bad that he's surprised she doesn't notice it, what with how she can hear those now. He announces himself quietly with a cough and a 'hey' and lets himself in when she doesn't shoo him out.

He sees her brush her eyes and sniff, not even looking up as she apologizes for disappearing again on him.

"S'okay. I'm getting used to you going off on your own."

He walks forward, sitting next to her and leaning back on the chair. But he's not letting her leave him forever anymore.

"Does Bruce know?"

He almost laughs at that, "Yeah, Martian Manhunter told him his suspicions."

"And does everyone know or is it -"

'Cause that would definitely be awkward. "I'm honestly surprised you didn't realize. I thought you were being deliberately obtuse."

She seems lost for a moment before she curses. And when he asks what it is, her answer has him freezing.

"Luthor saw me throwing up."

"What?"

"Yeah, it was right before that whole mess with my foot and - my blood was all over the floor."

This is bad.

But, before he can properly panic, the whole building starts to shake and he sees her having trouble breathing and focuses on her.

"Breathe, Annie. It's going to be okay." She's crying and "You're going to be a great mom."

"No I'm not - just by existing, I'm putting this kid in Luthor's sights."

"Never figured you were one to let a billionaire walk all over you."

"I'm not." And how dare he?

"Then don't let him. You're going to do great."

He's more likely to screw up than her anyway. In the meantime, he can focus on her.

Besides, the more he thinks about it, the more he thinks he'll like being a dad. Maybe it'll be a little girl just as sweet as the Annie from his memories.

* * *

It's almost his birthday, while he's going by all his henchmen's offices, he's barely able to stop the - is that a sword?

That's a sword.

"Watch it, gremlin."

He's - he's dressed like -

"Robin. I told you to wait."

And isn't that familiar.

"You got another one?"

And wait - he knows that glare, that's . . . shit.

"So you found out about your kid with Talia?"

Bruce is glaring, Tim is staring dismayed, and Dick pouts.

"You knew?"

"Todd."

"Demon."

"Still alive, I see."

"Still a brat." Jason stops talking to the shrimp and turns to Dick. "I spent years with the League, you thought I didn't know about his highness?"

Jason dodges the swipe the brat makes and almost laughs. Almost, because he knows if he does, the brat will just do it again.

"Yeah, well a warning would have been nice."

"And when was I supposed to put that into casual conversation?"

The Replacement snorts.

"Happy Birthday, Red Hood."

Jason turns to see Bruce in full Batman regalia.

"It's not until the day after tomorrow."

But he's touched by Bruce remembering anyway.

"Yes. We're actually here following a lead about -"

"Why are we telling the criminal what we're doing?"

Bruce sighs and begins massaging the bridge of his nose.

"Robin -"

"I can't believe you got another one."

"Meet Red Hood. The second Robin."

"You mean the one that died."

His minions are shaking behind him and Jason just needs them gone.

"Fantastic, but what does that have to do with me?"

"Boss was the second robin?" The words behind him are spoken in awe, and he just knows this is going to be a problem for him.

Later, when he gets back to her apartment - _their apartment? -_ and starts telling her about the little shit that is Damian Wayne, he notices she seems despondent. And he doesn't know how to comfort her.

Trying to distract her by telling her about how Bruce basically crashed his drug heist against Penguin doesn't seem to pull her out of it, either, so he tries distracting her with kisses.

The next morning, though, before she's even awake, Bruce sends him a text message.

Because Jason's turning twenty-two.

And he's right, she hadn't been listening.

"I mean, I got that you were upset, but I didn't really understand what you were talking about."

"Bruce has a kid."

"He adopted someone else?" He tries not to laugh at her unimpressed expression.

"No. I mean he has a biological kid with Talia Al Ghul."

"Al Ghul as in the League of Assassins?"

Right. She remembered when he talked about - fuck. He never even told her he'd -

"Yeah. You know I stayed with them for a while?"

"Yeah. You knew them, and the kid?"

"Yeah, this is going to be fucking awkward."

"Why would it -" She understands in a moment, and looks so disgusted. "You slept with his mother?"

Fuck, when she says it like that - and he's certain if he tells her it had been her he'd imagined -

"I definitely want to meet this kid then."

Fuck. This is - Damian will kill him. Maybe even Bruce.

"You can't tell anyone."

"Oh? Can't even hint at -"

And fuck, just thinking about the one time he'd been with Talia, and knowning Annie's in his arms. He begins kissing her neck to distract her - it always seems to work.

He almost loses himself to the sensation, but remembers just before his hands reach the elastic of her underwear. He pulls away and tries to stare at her face instead of her chest.

"Please don't tell anyone."

"Fine."

She rolls her eyes and he scrambles to get off her and take a cold shower. He really needs to talk about her powers at some point.

* * *

They stop at the front of Wayne Manor, in all its glory and is surprised when she tells him she's been at this door before. He tries to think back to when - and then it occurs to him. That first Halloween after she woke up from the coma. Alfred had opened the door then, too.

"Ah, Master Jason. Ms. Simon. Pleased to see you."

"Great to see you too, Alfred. You got any cookies?"

"Of course, Master Jason. Would you like tea to go with that? I can have it brought to the library. Master Richard and Master Tim are there right now, if you wanted to see them."

"And the little demon brat?"

"He should be coming along shortly. Dinner will be served at seven, so try not to eat too many biscuits."

As he leads Annie to the sitting room, he thinks back to that night. He'd been dressed up in a Superman shirt. Not the fanciest of costumes, but sufficient enough. There'd been a really well dressed batgirl and and -

"Hey, Annie."

Jason's thoughts are interrupted by Drake and Dick.

"Annie! How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine."

"The foot okay, then?"

She rolls her eyes and makes a grab for coffee. But since it's six in the evening and she's already had her espresso this morning, he pulls it away. She needs sleep. And too much coffee is bad for her and the baby.

"Give me my fucking coffee."

He drinks the mug instead.

"Why can't she have any more coffee?"

"Leslie told me she shouldn't have more than a cup of coffee a day."

"I've had coffee every day since I was five. Give me my damn coffee!"

Wait, what? Since she was five? Jason supposes that would explain her naive happiness all the time, but then - she had forgotten everything. Her friends. Her -

"Well, that explains why you were always unnaturally chipper."

He says the first though that had come to his mind, trying to play it off.

And then the gremlin arrives.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Hey, brat."

"Grayson. Drake. Todd. Slut."

That little shit is going to get it -

"Not as much as your mom, apparently."

Jason freezes as her words register and then the brat roars out a battle cry and - he has a knife. He has a knife and he's going after Annie and -

"Woah, there. No stabbing the guests. Let's get you to the dining room before you insult anyone else."

Damian's lucky Dick got him first, because had he gotten any closer, Jason would have killed him. He doesn't care if he's just a child.

"Let me at her! How dare you even insinuate - I'll kill you!"

And then Tim is touching her shoulder and Jason can't help it.

"Get your hands off her."

"Maybe you shouldn't have antagonized him, Annie."

"Don't fucking ignore me, replacement!"

"He started it!"

And then Dick calls over his shoulder. "Maybe, but like - we just got him a few days ago and he's still learning basic manners. What you said isn't really helping."

And everyone's ignoring him, so he he walks off on his own, keeping a hand on her wrist and dragging her along with him. She really looks like she fits in, and it brings a small, bitter smile to his face.

He stops when he sees the others. Babs he recognizes right away, with her red hair. The other two, he's only known briefly from the times he's stopped by the cave and the few times he's met them on patrol.

"Babs, Cassie, Steph, this is Annie."

"Hey! I remember you! So you know our resident gangster, huh?"

Of course they know Annie.

"I mean - I suppose?"

"How'd you meet him?"

Jason loves how Annie just stares.

"Come on, Steph. That's a little rude, don't you think -"

Bruce interrupts The Replacement with "Dick, why is Damian tied to his chair?"

"He was threatening Annie with a knife."

"I'm pregnant, not helpless. I could have taken him. _"_

And. Well. That's one way to announce it.

"Ummm. Congratulations?"

"You hear that, Damian? No stabbing the pregnant woman. That's going to be your niece or nephew."

"Wait - is that why Jason said you can't have more coffee?"

Right. The coffee. And the odd statement about how when she was five.

"Jason's a killjoy. That's why he won't let me have more coffee."

"You're lucky I let you have any at all, the way you were throwing it all up last month."

Tim nods and says, "Yeah, I totally get that. Jason can be very unreasonable."

"I'll fucking kill you, replacement."

He tries not to think about it and instead focuses on bandying out insults and comebacks.

"So, Ms. Simon, when can we welcome the happy bundle?"

He's happy to see Alfred pouring water for her and finds himself answering. "Apparently she's at like seventeen weeks and due sometime in mid to late January."

"First Bruce, now Jason. After all Bruce's lectures about using protection -"

And then she chokes on her water.

"Are you okay?"

She keeps coughing, tears leaking out of her eyes.

"Seriously - is she going to be alright?"

"Dinner is served."

He doesn't keep his eyes off her all dinner.

* * *

He doesn't know how to bring it up. The coffee. The five year old Annie. So he starts with a bit of an apology.

"Sorry dinner was a mess."

"Sure you are."

"No really."

"You drank my coffee. I see how fucking sorry you are."

Oh thank God, she brought it up first.

"Coffee's not good for you right now. At least not in the quantities you drink it in.".

"Coffee is life."

And apparently, she's trying to make more. At ten o'clock at night. She's so fucking adorable.

"Hey! What are you -"

"Look, can't you just believe I'm just trying to look out for you?"

"Why?"

"Because I l-"

"How can you - you don't even really know who I am!"

What is she on about? "Who are you, then?"

He tells her what he knows and then she starts calling herself a fraud. Which is worrying.

Is this about the memory from being five years old? "Just because you don't remember anything from before you were nine -"

"I'm _not_ Annie. I do remember. That's the problem. I just don't remember Annie."

He lets her grab the coffee at that. Becuase he;s not quite sure he understands. What is she talking about? Is this - "You mentioned you've had coffee every day since you were five, earlier."

And then she's telling him this story he can barely understand. He steps back to get a better look at her.

"This is what Luthor was trying to do. He was trying to kill Annie Simon for good. All the other subjects were failures. Except for me."

He finds himself staring at her laptop - at files from the trojan horse she'd planted on LexCorp's mainframe. And this - this is what BRuce was looking for. This is why Annie's the way she is.

He keeps looking through everything. The other experiments, the genetic material for this seru. It explains everything - even her powers, he supposes. Because Vibe can go between universes, can't he?

When he's done reading - and he's pretty certain it's been a while, he looks back at her.

"All this stuff Luthor did to you - it doesn't change who you are."

"You don't know that. You don't know who I am."

"Who do you think _I_ think you are?"

He thinks Annie might be more messed up than him.

"You think I'm Annie - the girl who had a crush on you in elementary school."

Wouldn't it be so easy? But isn't that the thing? He hadn't liked that Annie all that much. He'd hated her, even if she was starting to grow on him. Does he even know Annie that well?

"Are you the Annie from fifth grade - or sixth - or seventh, whatever - who gave me lunch money?"

"What does that have to do with -"

"That's - Are you the Annie I helped with English papers and who makes amazing pie and -?"

Because maybe he didn't know Annie before, but he knows her now. Maybe he doesn't know everything about her other life, but he knows who she is at her core.

"What does this have to do with _anything_?"

"If you are that Annie - you're _my_ Annie and I don't care what -"

"I'm a _fraud_! You think it was just by chance that I figured out Bruce Wayne is Batman? That you were robin? I mean not that you yourself would be robin, I only figured it out after you died because I didn't pay attention when you got adopted, and I wasn't that big a fan of the Batman comics but -"

He supposes it makes sense, now. How she knew Bruce's secret identity. He's heard stories about the Justice League meeting alternate versions of themselves.

She interrupts him when he tries explaining that it's normal.

"You don't understand! It wasn't just - there were two publishing companies - Marvel and DC and I read Marvel comics. Because I liked the movies - I grew up on the movies. They started when I was five. So I read the comics. I thought it was fake! Gotham never existed in my world! It was just a story. And I was a fan of - of the competition. I knew practically _nothing_ coming into this world."

That's . . . interesting. But it just means she doesn't have an advantage over anyone.

"No I'm not like the rest of you. Because I know enough to get myself into trouble. And I'm not Annie. I've never really been Annie."

She's really starting to piss him off. Is she trying to push him away?

"You want me to call you something else, then?"

"Fuck! No! That's not the point! The point is I'm - I'm not so certain Annie's as dead as I thought she was? What if this baby is - is Annie and -"

Is that what this was all about?

He tries to reassure her, but she keeps freaking out and sayin these things about what Martian Manhunter sensed and - he supposes he understands why Jon's attempt to tell her didn't work, now.

There's a mind already? His kid's already conscious?

But he can't focus on this. He needs to reassure her. Let her know she belongs here. He doesn't even really know who Annie was before the accident. Not really.

So he tells her he loves her.

Because all the rest? It's irrelevant.

She cries some more. He gets her a glass of water and she retreats to her bedroom and shuts the door. He can hear her breath hitch even through the door.

He spends the night on her couch, trying not to get overwhelmed by the thoughts running through his mind. He makes a copy of the files she has on her computer. In the morning, once he's made her coffee, he knocks on the door.

She leans on him as she drinks the coffee, but he can tell her mind's elsewhere. And once, she's left for work, he finds himself on the top floor of Wayne Enterprises.

"Bruce," he says, hoping his green eyes can remind the man of the kid he used to be. "I need your help."

"What is it this time."

"I know why Annie's a meta. I know what Luthor is after. And Luthor knows Annie's pregnant."

The look on Bruce's face is almost worth the worry Jason feels about all of this.

* * *

 **With Covid-19 effectively being a buzzkill on life, I had time to finish this (finally). As you can tell it's much longer than all the other chapters at 26000 words give or take a few.**

 **On the brightside, I'm being paid for the next week and a half while I don't work.**

 **AND I GOT INTO GRAD SCHOOL WHICH IS A TOTAL PLUS!**

 **Anyway. The next chapter is nowhere near completion, but I'll be working on it.**


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